Minister defends party’s first-time performance in Block Committee and District Council elections; accuses opposition of collusion
Khanna — Panchayat Minister Tarunpreet Singh Saund on Friday rejected demands for his resignation from the Congress party, asserting that political parties whose seats have been reduced by voters have no moral standing to question AAP’s leadership. His remarks came at a press conference following the Aam Aadmi Party’s strong showing in the recently concluded Block Committee and District Council elections in Khanna.
Saund emphasized that the AAP contested the local body elections for the first time in Khanna, yet achieved remarkable results. The party secured first position by winning six of the 16 Block Committee seats and clinched one District Council seat, effectively tying for the top spot in that category. Congress, by contrast, failed to secure any District Council seat and saw its Block Committee representation plummet from 12 seats to just five.
“Parties whose support has been crushed by the public have no right to raise questions,” Saund said at the conference. “This is a clear message from the people that they are satisfied with AAP’s policies and the government’s work.”
Congress’s Declining Fortunes
The minister directly addressed Congress leader Kotli, pointing to the dramatic erosion of his party’s political base. Congress’s Block Committee representation fell from 12 seats to five—a decline Saund described as “a crushing defeat.” He also questioned why Kotli did not resign after his security deposit was forfeited in the 2022 assembly elections or when Congress lost its recent seats.
“When Congress’s public support is continuously declining, they are talking about demanding resignations from others,” Saund said. “This only shows political desperation.”
Allegations of Opposition Collusion
A significant revelation in Saund’s press conference was his claim that Congress and the Shiromani Akali Dal engaged in coordinated electioneering to stop the AAP. Providing booth-level data, the minister alleged that evidence of seat-sharing and vote-directing arrangements between the two parties was visible in the election results.
Most notably, Saund claimed that in the Rajewal zone, the Akali Dal deliberately refrained from fielding a candidate against Satnam Singh Soni, a close associate of Congress leader Kotli. This apparent deal, the minister argued, demonstrated the secret coordination between the two parties—efforts that ultimately proved unsuccessful against the AAP surge.
Symbolic Victory in Rajewal Zone
The comprehensive defeat of Satnam Singh Soni by AAP candidate Pargat Singh held symbolic significance for the minister. Soni, a former Block Committee Chairman and Kotli associate, represented what Saund characterized as entrenched political arrogance. His loss, the minister suggested, signified public rejection of “old faces and domineering politics.”
“This victory was not just a win for one seat,” Saund stated, “but a sign of the shattering of years of political arrogance.”
Clarification on Yadu Case
The minister also addressed the legal case involving Akali leader Yadwinder Singh Yadu, clarifying that the issue arose from his own conduct rather than partisan action by AAP. According to Saund, Yadu had misbehaved with the Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM), who subsequently filed a written complaint triggering legal action.
“The AAP has no role in this,” Saund said. “Yadu has a history of creating disturbances and conflicts in every election. Despite our instructions to police not to file cases against anyone during the blockade, attempts are now being made to give this a political colour.”
Looking Forward
Minister Saund concluded the press conference by affirming the AAP’s confidence in its trajectory. He predicted that the party would strengthen further while the political ground beneath Congress and the Akali Dal continued to erode. “In the coming times, the AAP will become even stronger,” he said, “and the politics of development will reach every village.”
The minister pledged that the party would honor the electorate’s trust with complete integrity, signaling the AAP’s commitment to consolidating its Khanna gains in future electoral contests.
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