BJP Wins Mayor Post in Chandigarh

Chandigarh: BJP councilor Saurabh Joshi was elected as the new mayor of Chandigarh Municipal Corporation on Thursday, with the party sweeping the mayoral polls by also securing senior deputy mayor and deputy mayor posts. After the results were announced, a war of words broke out between AAP and Congress, with leaders accusing each other of “aiding” the BJP. Mayoral elections were held by show of hands instead of the previous secret ballot practice. After raising their hands, the council members also gave their verbal approval in the presence of the president.

In the three-cornered contest for the post of Chandigarh mayor, BJP candidate Joshi received 11 votes against Aam Aadmi Party’s Yogesh Dhingra and 18 votes against Congress’s Gurpreet Singh Gabi.

Congress and AAP did not form an alliance for the mayoral elections this time. Councilor Ramneek Singh Bedi, who was nominated for the mayoralty, held the mayoral election.

After being elected mayor, Joshi recalled his long association with the BJP and dedicated his victory to the party leadership and party workers.

In the 35-member Assembly of Chandigarh Municipal Corporation, BJP has 18 councillors, AAP has 11 and Congress has six. The Chandigarh MP also has the right to vote as an ex-officio member of the municipal corporation.

Congress MP Manish Tewari raised his hand in support of his party’s candidate Gabi.

After being declared the new mayor of Chandigarh, BJP’s Joshi (46) held elections for the posts of senior deputy mayor and deputy mayor. Congress abstained from voting in this election.

Following the voting for the mayoral post, all six Congress councilors and party MP Tewari walked out of the Assembly.

While BJP’s senior deputy mayor candidate Jasmanpreet Singh defeated AAP councilor Manuar Khan, BJP’s Suman Sharma won the deputy mayor post by defeating AAP candidate Jaswinder Kaur.

AAP councilor Ramchandra Yadav, who had filed his candidacy as an independent before being elected to the post of deputy mayor, has withdrawn his candidacy.

Meanwhile, AAP’s Chandigarh in-charge Jarnail Singh claimed that the Congress “once again extends its full and unwavering support to the BJP”.

“The people of Chandigarh will definitely take revenge for this betrayal and elect the Aam Aadmi Party with a full majority in the upcoming elections…” Singh said in a post on X.

Chandigarh Municipal Corporation elections will be held in December this year.