AAP-dominated Kharar Municipal Council ousts SAD leader through a vote of no confidence
Headline: AAP Ousts SAD Leader as Kharar Municipal Council President, Sparking Political Turmoil
Gist: The Kharar Municipal Council's president, Jaspreet Kaur Longia, was booted out by the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) in a no-confidence motion that took place on May 16, 2025. The move has stirred up political tension, with Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) leaders accusing the AAP government of dictatorship and misuse of power.
Details:
- A no-confidence motion was tabled against Longia, who was backed by SAD and independent councillors, by 18 AAP councillors, along with local MLAs Anmol Gagan Maan and Charanjeet Singh.
- The Kharar Municipal Council, consisting of 27 members and two MLAs, had suffered a hung house after the elections in February 2021. The Congress won 10 seats, SAD eight, AAP one, and Independents secured eight.
- However, in September 2022, the balance of power shifted when eight Congress councillors, six Independents, and one SAD councillor joined the AAP, giving them a controlling majority with 18 members.
- The no-confidence motion was approved during the House meeting, as per the Punjab Municipal Act. Once approved, the president ceases to hold office until a new one is elected.
- The executive officer (EO) of the Kharar Municipal Council, Gurbakshish Singh Sandhu, confirmed that the proceedings had been sent for approval, and a new election for the council president was planned for after May 19.
- SAD leaders Ranjit Gill and NK Sharma accused the AAP of dictatorship and misusing government machinery to intimidate SAD supporters. They claimed that police were sent to councillors' homes and workplaces to pressure them into switching sides.
- No-confidence Motion
- Shiromani Akali Dal
- Important to Know: The Kharar Municipal Council, prior to the no-confidence motion, had been a Hung House, with no single party securing a majority. However, the situation changed in September 2022 when a significant number of councillors switched their allegiance to the AAP, giving them a majority. This change enabled them to table the no-confidence motion against Longia and successfully pass it during the council meeting on May 16, 2025.
- The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) used a no-confidence motion to oust Jaspreet Kaur Longia, the Kharar Municipal Council President, despite her being supported by Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) and independent councillors, highlighting the ongoing political tension in policy-and-legislation related matters.
- The no-confidence motion, tabled by 18 AAP councillors along with local MLAs Anmol Gagan Maan and Charanjeet Singh, was successful due to a shift in power that occurred in September 2022, when several councillors from the Congress, Independents, and SAD joined the AAP, giving them a controlling majority in the council.
- The power shift and subsequent no-confidence motion against Longia have sparked alleged accusations of dictatorship and misuse of power by the AAP government from SAD leaders Ranjit Gill and NK Sharma, who claim that the government is using government machinery to intimidate SAD supporters, a matter of general-news importance.
