Ahead of the Ludhiana municipal corporation elections, former and aspiring councillors from various political parties have been taking shots at the Congress over the arrest of former Ludhiana West MLA Bharat Bhushan Ashu’s arrest in the alleged foodgrains transport tender scam.
Former Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) councillor from ward number 70, Tanvir Dhaliwal, said Ashu was the leader of councillors, especially from the Ludhiana west constituency. Ward 70 is currently represented by Congress councillor Dilraj Singh.
“The wrongdoings and corrupt practices of Ashu have now come to the fore and the councillors in “team Ashu” were hand-in-glove with him,” said Dhaliwal.
Rumours have also been making the rounds that a number of Congress councillors will join AAP before the civic body polls.
Gurkaran Tinna, who unsuccessfully contested the last municipal elections from ward number 69 from Lok Insaaf party (LIP), will again contest from the ward and is rumoured to be the front runner for the AAP ticket. Ward number 69 is currently represented by Congress councillor Kulwinder Kaur.
Tinna stated that Congress is now finished in the state and Ashu’s arrest has further brought its rampant corruption to the fore.
{{/usCountry}}Tinna stated that Congress is now finished in the state and Ashu’s arrest has further brought its rampant corruption to the fore.
{{/usCountry}}Earlier, currentl Ludhiana West MLA Gurpreet Gogi had said that Ashu’s defeat in the last assembly elections is a clear sign that people have united to end corruption and added that Congress will face humiliation in the upcoming civic body polls as well.
Meanwhile, district Congress president Ashwani Sharma said,” It is all a propaganda and Ashu will come out clean. Congress will retain majority in the House as people have now understood that AAP is only working to malign the image of Congress by filing false cases against its leaders and former ministers.”
Congress had won 16 out of 17 wards in Ludhiana West constituency in the last elections. The lone BJP councillor from Ludhiana west, Maninder Kaur Ghumman, had also joined congress ahead of the recent assembly elections.