Despite having its elected president Kiran Bala at the helm of the Nangal Municipal Council, the ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Wednesday failed to get its development agenda worth around Rs 77 crore passed after it could not muster a majority in the municipal house.The development agenda, comprising various works proposed to be undertaken in the Nangal Municipal Council area, was placed before the house at a meeting held on Wednesday. However, the proposals could not clear the house as Congress and BJP councillors opposed the agenda.Sources said the AAP had the support of eight councillors, while one BJP councillor voted in favour of the development proposals, taking the effective strength supporting the agenda to nine. Against this, eight Congress councillors and two BJP councillors opposed the proposals, leaving the AAP-led council without the numbers required to get the agenda approved.The development agenda has assumed political significance as Nangal falls in the Anandpur Sahib Assembly constituency and is represented by Punjab Education and Local Government Minister Harjot Singh Bains. With the Assembly elections approaching, the AAP government is keen to push development projects in urban areas of the constituency.However, the lack of a majority in the municipal house has emerged as a major hurdle for the government. The latest developments have also revived the political controversy surrounding the election of the AAP backed president of the Nangal Municipal Council.Former Punjab Assembly Speaker and senior Congress leader KP Rana said the proceedings had established that the AAP did not enjoy a majority in the municipal house.AAP managed to forcibly install its president in the Nangal MC house, but it does not have the majority, Rana said. He also alleged that the development agenda brought before the house was not in the interest of Nangal.Rana claimed that the value of the works proposed in the meeting was more than the total budget of the municipal council. He said Congress councillors opposed the proposals because of the manner in which the agenda was brought before the house.The voting pattern also triggered speculation about differences within the BJP camp. While two BJP councillors voted against the AAP agenda, another BJP councillor supported the ruling party’s proposals. The division among BJP councillors has added a new dimension to the political equations in the municipal council.The failure to pass the proposals is likely to come as a setback to the AAP government, particularly to Bains, who holds the Local Government portfolio and has been pushing for development works in his constituency. With the Assembly elections drawing closer, the inability to secure approval for major urban development projects could become a political issue.Meanwhile, sources said the AAP led municipal council was considering issuing a notice to a Congress councillor over alleged use of abusive language during the meeting. The move could further intensify the already charged political atmosphere in the council.The developments indicate that despite controlling the municipal presidency, AAP continues to face a numbers challenge in Nangal MC, with opposition councillors retaining the ability to block major policy and development decisions.