BJP National Council Member and senior Bharatiya Janata Party leader Sanjay Tandon on Wednesday launched a scathing attack on the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), accusing it of indulging in intimidation and vendetta politics ahead of the upcoming Mayor elections in Chandigarh.
Tandon condemned what he termed as AAP’s “moral collapse,” alleging that the party has stooped to targeting family members of its own former councillor who recently severed ties with AAP and joined the BJP. He said such actions reflect a dangerous shift from democratic competition to coercive politics.
Terming Suman Amit Sharma’s, an elected councillor from Ward No. 4 of the Chandigarh Municipal Corporation, decision to join the BJP as an indication of the ever-increasing popularity of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Tandon said: “The AAP cannot compete with our Prime Minister’s appeal to the people across the country.”
Instead of engaging in issue-based politics, Tandon alleged that AAP has chosen to weaponize investigative agencies by lodging “baseless and politically driven” cases against relatives of former party members. “This is not governance or democracy; it is intimidation aimed at creating fear among their own ranks,” he said.
It is worth mentioning that the crucial Mayor election of Chandigarh is scheduled for January 29, 2026.
According to Tandon, the intent behind the arrest of Sharma’s sister-in-law, Komal Sharma, by the Punjab Police in a case related to alleged salary fraud registered at Sohana police station in Mohali, is to send a warning to party workers.
“AAP wants to signal that anyone who leaves the party, particularly to join the BJP inspired by its leadership and vision, will be punished through harassment of their families,” he stated.
The BJP leader further claimed that such tactics expose AAP’s growing anxiety as the Mayor elections approach. “The party senses defeat and, in its desperation, has abandoned all democratic values. Instead of respecting individual political choices, it is resorting to pressure and threats to prevent party workers from joining BJP out of their own free will,” Tandon added.
Referring to the specific case filed against a relative of the former AAP councillor, Tandon questioned the selective nature of the action. He pointed out that while a family member has been named, key figures such as the Sewerage Board Chairman and the contractor involved have been conspicuously excluded. “This selective targeting clearly reveals the political motive behind the case,” he said.
Calling the episode a blot on political ethics, Tandon asserted that the case lacks substance and is being used purely as an instrument of revenge. “Such misuse of authority only weakens public trust and exposes the hollowness of AAP’s claims of clean politics,” he remarked.
Reaffirming the BJP’s position, Tandon said the Chandigarh unit of the party stands firmly with the councillor and her family. “We will oppose these authoritarian and unethical tactics at every level. Politics of fear will not stop people from aligning with the BJP or endorsing its development-oriented and people-first agenda,” he concluded.
