Chandigarh: Will AAP manage to keep its flock from flying off again? That was the big question flapping around the Congress’ internal meeting on Wednesday as the party weighed yet another alliance with AAP for the Jan 29 Chandigarh mayoral election.A day earlier, both parties had hinted at a “strategic understanding” to stop the BJP from walking away with the mayor’s chair. But with two AAP councillors already hopping over to the BJP, Congress leaders were understandably wondering whether AAP can even keep the rest from straying. On paper, a united AAP-Congress front totals 18 votes, just enough to match the BJP’s strength in the MC House.Though the two parties are exploring a joint run for the posts of mayor, senior deputy mayor and deputy mayor, Congress leaders made it clear the ball is firmly in AAP’s court. At the Wednesday meeting, chaired by MP Manish Tewari, several councillors pointed out that one more defection would turn the alliance useless. With both sides currently tied at 18 each in the 36-member House, even a single wobble could tilt the game.“As long as AAP can keep its councillors from being poached, an alliance is possible. But if even one slips, the entire plan collapses,” a senior Congress leader said, adding that the viability of the tie-up depends entirely on AAP’s ability to keep its team intact till voting day.Congress, too, has its own housekeeping to do. Differences over reuniting with AAP surfaced prominently, with some councillors even skipping a meeting called by city president H S Lucky on Tuesday. Tewari had to step in and hear everyone out before the party could take a final view. The Congress will hold another meeting on Thursday to discuss the issue once again. AAP leaders, meanwhile, insists the deal is still on track. “We want an alliance to defeat the BJP, and discussions are moving in that direction,” party sources said.AAP’s ‘resort politics’In a move straight out of the political playbook, AAP on Wednesday night whisked all its municipal councillors out of Chandigarh — destination: Punjab. The aim? To keep them “safe” from rival approaches till the Jan 29 poll. The councillors will stay put in AAP-ruled Punjab under close watch. Chandigarh in-charge and Delhi MLA Jarnail Singh has been holding a flurry of meetings to keep the flock tight and the strategy tighter.BJP to finalise candidatesBJP national general secretary Vinod Tawde arrived in Chandigarh on Wednesday and held a meeting with party leaders and councillors at the BJP office in Sector 33. On Thursday, the party’s core committee will meet in the city, where senior and core leaders are expected to finalise candidates and chalk out the strategy for the mayoral election. BJP MP from Ghaziabad and Chandigarh in-charge Atul Garg is also scheduled to attend the meeting.
