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AAP Councillors Defect to BJP, Shifting Chandigarh Mayor Election Dynamics

Two AAP councillors have joined the BJP ahead of the Chandigarh mayor election, shifting the balance in the municipal house. The BJP now holds 18 councillors and requires only one additional vote to secure the mayor's position, making its victory highly likely. Meanwhile, Congress leaders have criticized the defection, calling for a directly elected mayor and alleging irregularities in recent local body elections. Punjab Congress chief Amarinder Singh Raja Warring claimed AAP won many seats by narrow margins and accused the ruling party of pressuring election officials.

Key Points: AAP Councillors Join BJP Ahead of Chandigarh Mayor Election

  • AAP councillors join BJP
  • Mayor election via open voting
  • BJP needs one more vote
  • Congress alleges electoral irregularities
2 min read

Two AAP councillors join BJP ahead of Chandigarh mayor election

Two AAP councillors defect to BJP, altering numbers in Chandigarh’s mayoral race. BJP now needs just one more vote to secure the mayor’s post.

"This is precisely the reason why a Five year Mayor of MC Chandigarh directly elected by the people is necessary. – Manish Tewari"

Chandigarh, December 24

Ahead of the Chandigarh Mayor election, two Aam Aadmi Party councillors on Wednesday, Suman Devi and Poonam Devi, have joined the Bharatiya Janata Party.

They joined the BJP in the presence of Chandigarh BJP president Jatinder Pal Malhotra, Mayor Harpreet Kaur Babla and senior leader Sanjay Tandon.

With the Mayor's election set to be held through open voting, the defection has altered the numbers in the House. The BJP now has 18 councillors and needs just one more vote to secure the Mayor's post, making its victory almost certain.

The mayoral term for 2026 will be the fifth and final term of the current five-year municipal corporation, which has been in effect from 2022 to 2026. For the 2026 term, the mayor's post is reserved for the general category. The current mayor's tenure will end on January 29, 2026, meaning the election process must be completed before that date.

Congress MP from Chandigarh Manish Tewari has called out the defection saying that there was a need for a directly elected Mayor in Chandigarh, following this political shift.

In a post on X, Tewari wrote, "This is precisely the reason why a Five year Mayor of@MCChandigarhdirectly elected by the people is necessary."

Meanwhile, in another incident, Punjab Congress chief and Lok Sabha MP Amarinder Singh Raja Warring claimed that the party stood vindicated on its assessment of the recently concluded Zila Parishad and Block Samiti elections, citing final figures that have now come into the public domain.

Quoting the data, Warring claimed that the ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) won nearly 70 per cent of the seats by margins of 10 votes or fewer.

"That is what we have been saying from day one," he said, alleging that in several such cases, election officials were pressured to declare AAP candidates winners even where opposition candidates were ahead by slim margins.

Rejecting the ruling party's claims of a decisive mandate, the Punjab Congress chief asserted that the results reflected public disenchantment with the government. He alleged misuse of official machinery, intimidation of opponents and the psychological advantage enjoyed by the ruling party in local body polls.

"If these factors are discounted, AAP has actually been defeated in these elections," Warring said, adding that the results marked the beginning of the ruling party's decline.

- ANI

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Reader Comments

S
Sarah B
From an outside perspective, this seems like a very calculated move by the BJP. Securing the mayor's post with just one more vote needed is a smart political strategy. It shows strong ground-level organization.
A
Ananya R
The real story is in the Zila Parishad elections! Winning 70% of seats by margins of less than 10 votes? That's statistically very suspicious. Raja Warring's allegations about pressure on officials need a proper investigation. 🧐
V
Vikram M
At the end of the day, the common citizen of Chandigarh just wants good governance and development. Whether it's BJP, AAP, or Congress, they should focus on delivering that instead of these defection games. Our city deserves better.
K
Karthik V
This is why people are losing faith in politics. Elected representatives have no loyalty to their party's ideology or their voters. They just go where the power is. Very disappointing for our democracy.
P
Priya S
Respectfully, while the defection is questionable, the Congress pointing fingers is rich. They have done the same for decades. The entire system needs an anti-defection law with more teeth for local bodies too. All parties are guilty.

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