Aam Aadmi Party’s (AAP) decision to opt out of the ensuing Punjab municipal bodies’ elections has paved way for a direct contest between Congress and the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) – BJP combine. However, the march towards victory is not without its share of obstacles for both the parties. Congress has so far not been able to break the jinx of defeat, and the combine is facing strong winds of anti-incumbency.
Political analysts believe that the success the BJP savored in the parliamentary polls and in Haryana assembly elections in 2014 may see the party grab respectable number of seats in the Hindu-dominated areas, and the earlier wave in its favour may just succeed in keeping the SAD afloat in the other areas. The six municipal corporations and around 123 municipal councils and nagar panchayats are going for polls in the state on February 22 and 26 respectively, the process of which has already begun, and the candidates are filing their nominations till February 11.
Except Bathinda, the five corporations out of six going for polls on February 22 — Moga, Phagwara, Hoshiarpur, Mohali and Pathankot — are relatively new, with all given Corporation-status in 2012, other than Mohali, which was upgraded to corporation in 2011. Marred by infighting, the Congress has already strike a deal with the non-entity People’s Party of Punjab (PPP) regarding adjustment of seats, similar to what the two did during zila parishad elections. As per agreement, the two would not field their candidates against each other.
On the other hand, the SAD-BJP combine has decided to stick to the existing seat sharing formula, but the two are yet to reach a consensus on the number of seats in two municipal corporations — Mohali and Pathankot. BJP, in its meeting on Monday under the leadership of State BJP chief Kamal Sharma, has settled on the seat sharing arrangement in Moga, Phagwara, Bathinda and Hoshiarpur, while it is yet to arrive on agreement in the Municipal Corporations of Mohali and Pathankot.
“In the meeting, we have assessed the candidates’ names for contesting the corporation elections. We have decided that forthcoming MC elections would be contested as per existing seat sharing formula with the SAD in Moga, Phagwara, Bathinda and Hoshiarpur,” a senior BJP leader, requesting anonymity, told The Pioneer. “The seat sharing formula for Mohali and Pathankot is yet to be finalised,” the leader said, adding that the same is expected to be declared late at night.
The saffron party, in series of meetings with the SAD, had agreed upon the seat arrangement with the BJP set to get more seats in Hindu-dominated areas — Phagwara, Hoshiarpur, and Pathankot — with Akali Dal having its mayor in Bathinda, Mohali, and Moga. “Seats were distributed considering which party has its MlA or MP from that area besides keeping in view which party has stronghold there. So, we would have more seats in Hoshiarpur, Phagwara, and Pathankot,” the leader said.
Available information suggests that the BJP would have more than 30 seats in 50-member corporation house in Hoshiarpur and Phagwara. In Pathankot, the two are in disagreement over seat sharing. Following delimitation, the number of wards in Pathankot Municipal Corporation has gone up from 33 to 50, bringing in several rural areas. While the BJP is claiming a major share of seats, the SAD is demanding half the seats in Pathankot — situation leading to a deadlock.
Akali Dal, on the other hand, would have larger share of seats in 50-member corporations of Mohali, Moga and Bathinda. It has been learned that the two allies have also point of differences on seat arrangement in Mohali. Both the SAD and BJP have already declared to contest the elections on their own party symbols — BJP on lotus and SAD on weighing scale.
This is for the first time in the recallable past when the BJP is contesting the local level polls on all seats on its own symbol. Earlier, it used to contest some seats on its symbol, while the remaining on the SAD’s symbol. The final list of the candidates contesting corporation elections, except Mohali and Pathankot, is expected to be out by Monday night. For the municipal committee or councils and nagar panchayats’ elections, the BJP would finalise candidates on Tuesday.