The Chandigarh mayoral ballot is about to witness a eager contest between the BJP and the AAP-Congress alliance with officers stating that each one needed preparations have been made for the elections, set to happen on Thursday (January 30, 2025).
The elections for the posts of mayor, senior deputy mayor and deputy mayor will likely be held within the meeting corridor of the Chandigarh Municipal Company, officers mentioned.
In the meantime, the Chandigarh administration on Wednesday imposed Part 163 of the Bhartiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, banning the gathering of 5 or extra individuals inside 100 meters of the Chandigarh MC constructing’s perimeter.
AAP’s Kuldeep Kumar Dhalor is the incumbent mayor of Chandigarh.
AAP Congress alliance
The AAP and Congress are contesting the mayoral elections as an alliance. Whereas AAP is contesting the mayor’s put up, Congress has put up its candidates — Jasbir Singh Bunty and Taruna Mehta — for the posts of senior deputy mayor and deputy mayor, respectively.
The AAP has fielded its councillor Prem Lata for the mayor’s put up, whereas the BJP has nominated Harpreet Kaur Babla.
For the posts of senior deputy mayor and deputy mayor, the BJP has nominated Bimla Dubey and Lakhbir Singh Billu, respectively.
Within the 35-member home of the Chandigarh MC, the AAP has 13 councillors and its ally Congress has six, in the meantime the BJP has 16 councillors.
Congress councillor becoming a member of BJP
A number of days in the past, Congress councillor Gurbax Rawat joined the BJP, growing the BJP’s energy to 16.
Moreover, the Chandigarh MP additionally has a voting proper as an ex-officio member of the 35-member municipal company. The present MP is Manish Tewari of Congress.
In the meantime, officers on Wednesday confirmed that needed preparations are in place for the mayoral polls on Thursday.
Nominated councillor Ramneek Singh Bedi has been appointed because the presiding officer for the election whereas former Punjab and Haryana Excessive Court docket Justice (retd) Jaishree Thakur has been appointed as an unbiased observer for the mayoral ballot by the Supreme Court docket.
The January 27 order got here in response to a plea by AAP councillor and mayor Kuldeep Kumar, searching for a “show of hands” as an alternative of a “secret ballot” to make sure equity within the polling course of.
Officers on Wednesday confirmed that the polls will likely be carried out via a secret poll.
The highest courtroom additionally directed that the election proceedings be carried out within the presence of the observer and must be duly videographed.
Within the 2024 mayoral elections, AAP’s Kuldeep Kumar was declared the mayor of the Chandigarh MC by the Supreme Court docket on February 20 final yr, after overturning the results of the Chandigarh mayoral ballot through which the BJP candidate had been declared the winner.
The then presiding officer, Anil Masih, was caught on digicam invalidating eight poll papers that had been in favour of the AAP-Congress alliance.
Revealed – January 30, 2025 09:55 am IST
