Another councillor defects from Vision Montreal

City councillor Elaine Ayotte, seen here in her Twitter profile photo, is the latest to defect from Louise Harel's Vision Montreal party.

MONTREAL - Another councillor is jumping ship from Louise Harel's Vision Montreal Party, the fourth elected official the party has lost in the last week.

Vision Montreal city councillor Elaine Ayotte of the Rosemont—La Petite–Patrie borough announced Tuesday that she will sit as an independent for the remainder of the current term.

Ayotte was elected for the first time in 2009 as a member of Harel's Vision Montreal party. Prior to that, the Rosemont resident had a long career in local French TV and radio.

Last week Rivière-des-Prairies-Pointe-aux-Trembles mayor Chantal Rouleau quit Vision Montreal to join Denis Coderre's team, along with borough representatives Suzanne Décarie and Gilles Déziel.

However Ayotte has not committed to joining any other party for the time being.

The beleagured Harel - a longtime PQ cabinet minister who ran unsuccessfully for Montreal mayor in 2009 - has recently slumped in the polls behind Denis Coderre and Michael Applebaum, who had previously announced that he won't run in 2013.

The defection further diminishes Vision's lead over Project Montreal party, as the Vision party now holds 11 seats in council while the Projet Montreal has 10.

On Sunday, Vision Party members gave Harel 95 percent approval rating in a leadership review.