Ahead of Chandigarh's mayoral elections on January 26, AAP councillor Suman Amit Sharma defected to the BJP. This move is seen as politically significant for the upcoming polls. Shortly after, Sharma's relative, Komal Sharma, a clerk at the Mohali office of a Punjab Water Supply and Sewerage Board chairman, was arrested. The arrest stems from an FIR alleging she drew salary despite prolonged absence from work, a matter reportedly brought to light by her employer.