A significant blow to the Aam Aadmi Party and Congress alliance occurred in the Chandigarh Municipal Corporation as three AAP councillors switched allegiance to the BJP on February 18th, just before a crucial hearing in the Supreme Court today. This shift in political alignment gives the saffron party a substantial advantage in the anticipated re-election for the Mayor's post.

Poonam Devi, Neha Musavat, and Gurcharan Kala, the councillors in question, officially joined the BJP in Delhi in the presence of the party's National General Secretary Vinod Tawde. Interestingly, this development coincided with the resignation of the newly elected Mayor, Manoj Sonkar, on the same day, amidst accusations of poll rigging and malpractices.

Manoj Sonkar, the Mayor of Chandigarh, has stepped down from his position, clearing the path for a new mayoral election. The AAP and Congress took the matter to the Supreme Court, contesting the decision of the presiding officer who declared Sonkar the winner despite the rejection of 8 opposition ballots.

The three AAP leaders leveled accusations against their party, claiming that false promises were made, and they cited inspiration from Narendra Modi's work as the reason for joining the BJP. Musavat conveyed her admiration for Prime Minister Narendra Modi's initiatives for the welfare of the poor and Dalits.

Reacting to this turn of events, Sunny Ahluwalia, the AAP Chandigarh in-charge, claimed that the three individuals were coerced or threatened into joining the BJP.

Starting next week, numerous sitting MPs and MLAs from various opposition parties, such as Congress, Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), are set to join the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). A substantial influx of new members is anticipated by the end of the month, with the mass joining continuing until February 29th.