Setback for AAP in Punjab: Former Amritsar Deputy Mayor Avinash Jolly joins BJP

Amritsar (Punjab) [India], May 8 (ANI): In a major setback for the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) in Punjab, former Amritsar Deputy Mayor, Avinash Jolly resigned from the party and joined the BJP in Amritsar on Tuesday amid ongoing Lok Sabha elections.

In a post on X, BJP National Secretary Narinder Singh wrote, “Avinash Jolly, former deputy mayor (Amritsar) along with hundreds of supporters joined BJP at Amritsar, Punjab.”

In Punjab, voting for its 13 seats will take place in a single phase, the seventh and final phase on June 1 will see voting in Gurudaspur, Amritsar, Khadoor Sahib, Jalandhar, Hoshiarpur, Nandpur Sahib, Ludhiana, Fatehgarh Sahib, Faridkot, Firozpur, Bathinda, Sangrur, and Patiala constituencies.

Meanwhile, the filing of nominations for the Lok Sabha elections started in Punjab on May 7. The Election Commission of India (ECI) has appointed general and police observers for 13 seats in Punjab to ensure peaceful, fair, and transparent elections. These officials will assume their responsibilities from May 14, a press release from the Punjab Information and Public Relations Department said.

Punjab Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Sibin C said that 13 IAS officers from various states have been appointed as general observers, while seven IPS officers have been appointed as police observers. Their role is to ensure adherence to the rules and directives of the ECI during the elections, regarding the Model Code of Conduct.

Notably, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and the Congress, though partners in the opposition INDIA bloc, have chosen not to enter into any seat-sharing pact with each other in the state.

In the previous Lok Sabha Elections of 2019, the INC-led UPA alliance secured eight seats with a vote share of 40.6 per cent, while the NDA managed to secure four with a voting percentage of 9.7. The AAP, making its debut, secured one seat.

In 2014 Lok Sabha elections, Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) and AAP bagged 4 seats each while Congress secured 3 seats. The BJP managed to secure only two seats.

The polling for 93 Lok Sabha seats across 12 states and union territories was concluded in the third phase of the general election on Tuesday.

The counting of votes will be held on June 4.