Chandigarh witnessed the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) securing the mayoral position for the fourth consecutive term as BJP councillor Saurabh Joshi was elected mayor on Thursday. In a 36-member House, Joshi received 18 votes in a three-way contest, ensuring his victory.
Joshi will serve as the final mayor of the current term, which concludes in December when the five-year tenure of the Municipal Corporation ends.
Alongside Joshi, BJP’s Suman Sharma was elected deputy mayor and Jasmanpreet Singh was chosen as senior deputy mayor, both receiving 18 votes each.
The main contenders included Yogesh Dhingra from the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), who secured 11 votes, and Congress candidate Gurpreet Singh Gabbi, who received seven votes.
Earlier, the Congress and AAP had formed an alliance to contest elections together, which helped them secure mayoral and Lok Sabha seats in 2024. However, in this election, both parties contested separately and lost to the BJP.
The House consists of 35 members, with BJP holding 18 seats, AAP 11, and Congress 6. Despite not having a clear majority, BJP has managed to win the mayoral elections three times in the last four years, largely due to cross-voting and party switching among members.
Last month, two AAP councillors, Poonam and Suman Sharma, joined BJP, increasing the party’s strength to 18 in the House.
This time, the mayoral election was conducted through a show of hands, marking a departure from the earlier secret ballot system that often led to cross-voting. The change was mandated by an amendment to the Chandigarh Municipal Corporation (Procedure and Conduct of Business) Regulations, 1996. This amendment, approved by Chandigarh Administrator Gulab Chand Kataria in July last year, aims to prevent cross-voting and manipulation of ballot papers.
Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini congratulated the BJP office bearers on their victory via the social media platform X. He hailed the win as a testament to the party’s organisational strength, capable leadership, and public trust. Saini credited the success to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visionary guidance and BJP’s consistent commitment to good governance and public service.
My name is Bhupendra Singh Chundawat. I am an experienced content writer with several years of expertise in the field. Currently, I contribute to Daily Kiran, creating engaging and informative content across a variety of categories including technology, health, travel, education, and automobiles. My goal is to deliver accurate, insightful, and captivating information through my words to help readers stay informed and empowered.
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