Chandigarh: The Chandigarh administration has turned down Aam Aadmi Party’s request for a “suitable” plot in the Union territory for its office, saying the party does not fulfil the criteria for such allotment.
Confirming the development, adviser to the UT administration, Dharam Pal, said according to the Chandigarh administration’s revised policy, a political party can get land for its office in the city if it meets two grounds: first, it should have a national party status, and second, it should have an elected member of Parliament from Chandigarh in the last 20 years.
“In the case of AAP, they are a national party, but do not fulfil the second condition, following which the proposal has been rejected,” Pal said on Tuesday.
Earlier, Punjab chief minister Bhagwant Mann had written twice to Chandigarh administrator Bhanwarilal Purohit, urging him to allot a “suitable” plot in the UT for AAP’s office, stressing that they are a national party and enjoy a huge majority in Punjab.
“All seven Rajya Sabha members from the state belong to the AAP. In Chandigarh [Municipal Corporation], out of 35 councillors, we have 14. The Aam Aadmi Party is the most popular party in Punjab and Chandigarh,” Mann wrote to Purohit, who is also the governor of Punjab, in June. After receiving no response from the UT administration, Mann sent a reminder on July 11.
{{/usCountry}}“All seven Rajya Sabha members from the state belong to the AAP. In Chandigarh [Municipal Corporation], out of 35 councillors, we have 14. The Aam Aadmi Party is the most popular party in Punjab and Chandigarh,” Mann wrote to Purohit, who is also the governor of Punjab, in June. After receiving no response from the UT administration, Mann sent a reminder on July 11.
{{/usCountry}}The Punjab chief minister had alleged that the Chandigarh administration’s “inaction” and “deafening silence” indicate it is playing “favoritism” and has some “ulterior motives”.
People familiar with the matter said the UT administration’s decision has been conveyed to Punjab government officials.
In 2005, the UT administration had amended the bylaws for the allotment of land in the joint capital city of Haryana and Punjab to political parties. Two clauses were subsequently added: first, the political party should have national party status, and second, they should have an elected MP in Chandigarh in the last 20 years.
At present, the Shiromani Akali Dal holds a three-acres plot in Sector 28, while the Congress has its Punjab unit office on a one-acre plot in Sector 15 and a four-kanal (equivalent to 0.5 acre) land in Sector 35 housing its Chandigarh unit office. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has two plots — one measuring two kanal (0.25 acre) in Sector 33 housing its Chandigarh unit office and three kanal (0.375 acre) in Sector 37 for its Punjab unit office.
All these allotments were made before the policy change in 2005.
In 2016, the Trinamool Congress (TMC) had also made a request for a plot in Chandigarh, saying it was a national party. However, the UT administration turned down its proposal on the second ground that the party did not have an MP in Chandigarh in the last 20 years.
When contacted, Malvinder Singh Kang, the chief spokesperson of AAP’s Punjab unit, said he was not aware of the development on the issue.