Excessive Stake Contest Between BJP, Congress-AAP Alliance In Chandigarh Mayoral Polls

Chandigarh:

The Chandigarh mayoral ballot is ready to witness a eager contest between the BJP and the AAP-Congress alliance with officers stating that every one crucial preparations have been made for the elections, set to happen on Thursday.

The elections for the posts of mayor, senior deputy mayor and deputy mayor will probably be held within the meeting corridor of the Chandigarh Municipal Company, officers stated.

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.

The AAP and Congress are contesting the mayoral elections as an alliance. Whereas AAP is contesting the mayor’s publish, 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 publish, 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.

A couple of days in the past, Congress councillor Gurbax Rawat joined the BJP, rising the BJP’s power 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 crucial 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 Courtroom Justice (retd) Jaishree Thakur has been appointed as an impartial observer for the mayoral ballot by the Supreme Courtroom.

The January 27 order got here in response to a plea by AAP councillor and mayor Kuldeep Kumar, in search of a “present of palms” as a substitute of a “secret poll” to make sure equity within the polling course of.

Officers on Wednesday confirmed that the polls will probably be carried out by a secret poll.

The highest courtroom additionally directed that the election proceedings be carried out within the presence of the observer and needs to be duly videographed.

Within the 2024 mayoral elections, AAP’s Kuldeep Kumar was declared the mayor of the Chandigarh MC by the Supreme Courtroom on February 20 final 12 months, after overturning the results of the Chandigarh mayoral ballot wherein the BJP candidate had been declared the winner.

The then presiding officer, Anil Masih, was caught on digicam invalidating eight poll papers that have been in favour of the AAP-Congress alliance.

(Aside from the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV workers and is revealed from a syndicated feed.)