Bathinda municipal corporation As Manpreet Badal returns home, 19 Cong councillors welcome him

The elections to Bathinda municipal corporation were conducted in February 2021 in which Congress had won 43 out of the total 50 seats. However, in August 2021, three Congress councillors, including Jagroop Singh Gill, joined the Aam Aadmi Party.

Gill later went on to contest the last year’s Assembly polls and defeated Manpreet Badal to became MLA from Bathinda Urban. Following the defections, Congress’s strength had reduced to 40 in Bathinda House. Later one councillor of SAD joined Congress taking the total to 41 .

Meanwhile, it needs to be mentioned that the Bathinda Mayor is a Manpreet loyalist. With Manpreet quitting Congress and joining the BJP, speculations were rife that Congress may replace the Mayor. But it may not be numerically possible now.

Sources said that all the Congress councillors had got personal calls from PPCC president Amarinder Singh Raja Warring Thursday but the picture became clear when 19 councillors — some represented by their spouse — went to greet Manpreet.

Jaijeet Singh Johal, brother-in-law of Manpreet, who too joined BJP along with the former finance minister, said ,”Soon after joining BJP, Manpreetji came to his native village and ‘our ‘ councillors pledged support
to us . Manpreetji has again gone to Delhi and he will be back soon”.