Intense Three-Way Battle in Chandigarh Mayoral Elections

The upcoming Chandigarh mayoral elections will feature a three-cornered contest among AAP, BJP, and Congress. AAP has declared its decision to run independently, fielding Yogesh Dhingra for mayor. The elections will hold on January 29, using a show of hands instead of a secret ballot.

The political landscape in Chandigarh's mayoral elections heats up as a three-cornered contest emerges. The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) announced on Thursday that it will contest independently, dismissing any coalition with the Congress. This places AAP alongside the BJP and Congress as primary contenders. The elections for mayor, senior deputy mayor, and deputy mayor of the Chandigarh Municipal Corporation are slated for January 29.

AAP leader and Delhi MLA Jarnail Singh confirmed the party's solo contesting plans, while fellow party member Anurag Dhanda criticized both Congress and BJP for their alleged misconduct. AAP's candidates include Yogesh Dhingra for mayor, Munnavar Khan for senior deputy mayor, and Jaswinder Kaur for deputy mayor. Meanwhile, the Congress and BJP have announced their candidates, including Gurpreet Singh Gabi and Sourabh Joshi, respectively.

This election diverges from past practices by employing a show of hands, replacing the secret ballot. Within the 35-member Chandigarh Municipal Corporation, BJP holds the majority with 18 councillors, followed by AAP's 11 and Congress's six. The deciding number of votes to win stands at 19, with the local MP, Manish Tewari, also casting a vote. The current positions see Harpreet Kaur Babla as mayor, with Congress's Jasbir Singh Bunty as senior deputy mayor and Taruna Mehta as deputy mayor.