The political rivalry between the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), previously prominent in Delhi, has intensified in Chandigarh ahead of the January 26 mayoral elections.

The situation escalated when Suman Amit Sharma, councillor of Ward No. 4 elected on an AAP ticket, switched allegiance to the BJP just days before the polls. Her defection is seen as strategically significant, potentially affecting the closely fought mayoral race.

The controversy deepened when Sharma’s relative, Komal Sharma, was arrested by Punjab Police early Saturday morning. She was picked up from Chandigarh following an FIR filed at Sohana police station in Mohali.

According to the FIR, Komal Sharma, who worked as a clerk at the Mohali office of Sunny Singh Ahluwalia—AAP’s co-incharge for Chandigarh and chairman of the Punjab Water Supply and Sewerage Board—allegedly drew her salary despite prolonged absences from work. The chairman reportedly initiated an inquiry after discovering irregularities, leading to the case being registered under Section 316(5) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) for criminal breach of trust.