CHANDIGARH: The ruling AAP as well as opposition Congress are worried over “poaching” of their leaders by the BJP. The Congress is trying to find candidates who do not have a chequered past and AAP is hard-pressed to keep its flock together.
Sources said the Congress has tweaked the selection criteria. The state leadership is focusing on candidates who do not have any case linked to the vigilance or Enforcement Directorate (ED). This is meant to thwart the possibility of arm-twisting them or preventing their vulnerability to poaching. Recently party MLA and Deputy Leader of Opposition Dr Raj Kumar Chabbewal joined AAP as he had a vigilance case pending against him.
Sources in the party apprehend that the BJP can use the Central investigating agencies against its leaders, including former CM Charanjit Singh Channi, former ministers Sadhu Singh Dharamsot, Sangat Singh Gilzian and Bharat Bhushan Ashu as vigilances cases are registered against them.
On the other hand, AAP has decided to hold meetings of all its MLAs with Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann after the March 31 Delhi rally. Mann is expected to listen to the grievances of party lawmakers in their constituencies. By conducting these meetings, the party aims to form a strategy for the Lok Sabha polls.
Every state legislator has been asked to get at least 1,000 supporters for the Delhi rally. The lawmakers fear that failure to do so could lead to their wings being clipped and a parallel leader being propped up in their segments.
Sources said the party leadership is expected to reach out to certain disgruntled MLAs, including those who were made to quit ministerial berths and others who aspire to become ministers and frequently criticize the government.
The fire-fighting in the party became apparent after Jalandhar MP Sushil Kumar Rinku and Jalandhar (West) MLA Sheetal Angura joined the saffron camp.
Sources said more than 20 AAP MLAs had been allegedly contacted by the BJP, besides three legislators Jagdeep Goldy Kamboj, Rajinder Pal Kaur and Amandeep Singh Musafir who claimed that they were offered money to switch sides.
The Congress was jolted in May 2022, when its ex-state president Sunil Jakhar joined the BJP. He is now the Punjab BJP chief.