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Chandigarh is set for a high-stakes political duel as the mayoral elections, initially slated for January 18, finally unfold today. The contest pits the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) against a potent alliance of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and Congress, marking the first major clash between the NDA and the INDIA bloc ahead of the general elections. The electoral battleground is heavily guarded, with an extensive deployment of around 800 police personnel and additional forces from the paramilitary, fortifying the Chandigarh Municipal Corporation with a three-layer barricade.
Initially scheduled for January 18, the mayoral polls faced a postponement to February 6 due to the illness of the presiding officer, Anil Masih. The decision to defer was also linked to the perceived law-and-order situation, prompting protests from Congress and AAP councillors. Despite health concerns, Anil Masih was reinstated as the presiding authority. The move faced legal challenges, culminating in the Punjab and Haryana High Court’s directive on January 24, mandating the immediate conduct of the mayoral polls and deeming the earlier postponement “unreasonable, unjustified, and arbitrary.”
With the election day looming, an air of tension prevails, prompting the Chandigarh Press Club to appeal to the Centre for media coverage of the voting process, challenging an initial denial of access to journalists.
In the 35-member Municipal Corporation House, the AAP-Congress alliance holds a combined total of 20 votes, presenting a formidable challenge to the BJP’s 15 votes, which includes 14 councillors and the crucial additional vote of MP Kirron Kher. The magic number for victory is set at 19. The election process has not been without its share of legal hurdles and controversies, underscoring the significance of today’s polls.
Strategically nominating candidates for various positions, the AAP-Congress alliance has Kuldeep Kumar from the AAP vying for the mayoral post, seeking to disrupt the BJP’s eight-year rule. Voting is scheduled to commence at 10 am, with the Congress’s decision to abstain from voting in 2022 and 2023 contributing to the BJP’s victories in those polls. The election process for the mayor’s position will be conducted through a secret ballot.
In this year’s elections, the mayor’s seat, reserved for the Scheduled Caste category, sees Manoj Sonkar from the BJP and Mr. Kumar from the AAP as contenders. The senior deputy mayor post witnesses a face-off between Kuljeet Sandhu of the BJP and Congress’s Gurpreet Singh Gabi, while the deputy mayor position will be contested between BJP’s Rajinder Sharma and Congress’s Nirmala Devi. The outcome of these contests adds further intrigue to the unfolding political drama in Chandigarh.
