Harpreet Kaur Babla of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) secured a victory in the Chandigarh mayoral elections, winning with 19 votes against the 17 votes of the AAP-Congress alliance. Babla defeated Prem Lata from the Aam Aadmi Party.
The election, seen as a major political battle, was held in the Chandigarh Municipal Corporation assembly hall. Voting started at 11.20 am and concluded by 12.19 pm.
The Chandigarh Municipal Corporation has 35 members, including elected councillors and the Chandigarh MP, who has voting rights as an ex-officio member. Before the election, the seat distribution was:
AAP – 13 councillors
Congress – 6 councillors
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BJP – 16 councillors
Chandigarh MP (Congress) – 1 vote
BJP retains Chandigarh mayoral control
The Chandigarh mayoral elections for the positions of mayor, senior deputy mayor, and deputy mayor were held in the Assembly Hall of the Chandigarh Municipal Corporation. The mayor serves a one-year term, and this time, the seat is reserved for a woman councillor.
With this win, the BJP has retained control over the Chandigarh mayoral position, marking an important political development for the party in the city.
Chandigarh Mayor face corruption charges
Several twists and turns followed the Chandigarh mayoral election, as the Chandigarh Police on Wednesday night booked Mayor Kuldeep Kumar Dhalor of the Aam Aadmi Party and his brother-in-law Rahul on charges of cheating and corruption, just hours before the polls. However, the Punjab and Haryana High Court granted anticipatory bail to Dhalor on Thursday morning, permitting him to vote.
Congress-AAP alliance faces tensions
The alliance between Congress and AAP, formed to counter the ruling BJP in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, also began to show signs of tension in Punjab. The Punjab unit of Congress had expressed dissatisfaction with the party high command’s decision to partner with Aam Aadmi Party in the Chandigarh mayoral elections. This move mirrors the stance of the Delhi Congress, which has chosen to contest the city’s Assembly elections independently, highlighting a widening rift between the two allies.