Tension flared at the Kotkapura Municipal Council nomination center on Friday as a fierce verbal confrontation broke out between the Congress workers and ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) supporters.
The Congress party has accused the local administration and police of working under the influence of the ruling government to deliberately block opposition candidates from filing their nomination papers for the upcoming civic body polls.
Led by Congress Halqa In-charge Bhai Ajay Pal Singh Sandhu, a massive protest was staged outside the nomination venue. Congress workers raised slogans against the state government and the local administration, alleging a complete breakdown of democratic norms.
Several Congress-backed candidates expressed their frustration, claiming they arrived at the center with all the necessary documentation but were repeatedly turned away by electoral officers under flimsy pretexts.
Senior Congress leader Shahbaz Singh Sandhu launched a scathing attack on the ruling AAP, saying
"Democracy is being openly throttled in Kotkapura. The ruling AAP is staring at a certain defeat, which is why it has resorted to voter and candidate suppression. They are misusing the police and civil administration to either reject opposition nominations or prevent them from being filmed entirely. We are being deprived of our constitutional right to contest elections."
Sandhu warned that if the State Election Commission does not intervene immediately to ensure a free and fair process, the Congress party will launch a state-wide agitation and approach the High Court for legal recourse.
Responding to the brewing controversy, Punjab Assembly Speaker and local MLA Kultar Singh Sandhwan arrived at the spot to defuse the situation. He categorically dismissed the opposition’s allegations of high-handedness.
Sandhwan assured that the AAP government stands for transparency. “The allegations leveled by the opposition are completely baseless. The administration is working independently. We are committed to ensuring that these municipal elections are conducted in an absolutely peaceful, free, and unbiased manner," the Speaker said.
