The Amritsar mayoral election, Congress suffers a significant defeat.

Congress loses badly in the Amritsar mayoral race as two councillors defect to the AAP and fight for a majority in the High Court. Congress claims there was rigging.

The Congress has suffered a significant setback in the contest for the position of mayor in Amritsar, Punjab. Dr Avatar from Ward No. 72 and Councillor Shivani from Ward No. 79 have defected from Congress to the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP). This took place in Chandigarh with Mayor Moti Bhatia and AAP State President Aman Arora present.

As a matter of fact, Congress had petitioned the High Court over the mayoral election dispute. According to this, the AAP gained the mayor’s seat by official collusion, even though Congress had a majority. The Congress’s majority appears to be waning now that two councillors have joined the AAP, and proving the majority in the High Court would be difficult. The lack of a majority had made the contest fascinating.
The absence of a definite majority had complicated the Amritsar Municipal Corporation’s outcomes. Following the election, the Aam Aadmi Party had 40 votes, while the Congress party had.

The contest became interesting due to the lack of a majority.

The absence of a definite majority had complicated the Amritsar Municipal Corporation’s outcomes. Following the election, eight independent candidates were elected, the Congress party had 40 seats, the BJP had nine, and the Akali Dal had four. But with over 40 councillors, Congress had the most. In spite of this, Jitendra Singh Moti Bhatia was elected mayor, Priyanka Sharma was named senior deputy mayor, and Anita Rani was named deputy mayor in the municipal corporation elections held on January 27, 2025.

Congress accuses the AAP of electoral tampering.

The Aam Aadmi Party has been the target of grave accusations of election-process tampering from Congress. Congress leaders have asserted that AAP councillors did not take the oath during the swearing-in event, citing CCTV footage and videos of the voting. The High Court’s orders led to the creation of this video. The Congress claims that by disobeying the court’s directions, the AAP rigged the election in its favour.

Allegations of collusion between AAP leaders and municipal corporation officials

Congress councillors say that AAP leaders met at the MK Hotel prior to the poll, with Rajinder Sharma, a representative of the Municipal Corporation, among other authorities in attendance. In addition to Amritsar, the Congress has claimed that election manipulation took place in Jalandhar, Ludhiana, Kapurthala, and other districts.