Chandigarh Mayor election to be held on January 29: SOPs out for show of hands voting
Dr Ramneek Singh Bedi, nominated councillor, has been designated as the Returning Officer for the meeting to be held for the election of the Mayor
The election for the posts of Mayor, Senior Deputy Mayor, and Deputy Mayor will be held on January 29. In accordance with Section 60(a) of the Punjab Municipal Corporation Act, 1976, Dr Ramneek Singh Bedi, nominated councillor, has been designated as the Returning Officer for the meeting to be held for the election of the Mayor.
The Returning Officer shall conduct the meeting and ensure that the election proceedings are carried out strictly in accordance with the law, prescribed procedures, and the approved SOPs. With the change in the system of holding the election from secret voting to a show of hands, Deputy Commissioner (DC) Nishant Yadav has announced the SOPs to be followed for the new system.
As per the Municipal Act, the responsibility for holding the election of Mayor lies with the DC’s office. The SOP has been finalised to ensure transparency, accountability, and clarity at every stage of the voting process. The SOP outlines the pre-voting protocol, order of voting, hand-raise procedure, counting, verification, recording of votes, and declaration of results.
As per the SOP, councillors shall raise their hands clearly when their choice is called, votes shall be counted through visual verification and verbal confirmation, and proper documentation, including maintenance of a register of votes and recording in the minutes of the meeting, shall be ensured to avoid any ambiguity or dispute.
The DC has further directed that the entire election proceedings shall be videographed continuously, without any editing, and the video record shall be safely preserved for a minimum period of 90 days or as directed by the competent authority. Media coverage and live feed of the election process, as permissible, shall also be allowed in the interest of transparency.
Regarding attendance and security arrangements, it has been clarified that councillors attending the election meeting shall not be accompanied by supporters or security personnel from other states, and only authorised persons shall be permitted within the Municipal Corporation (MC) premises during the election process. The Chandigarh Police have been directed to provide adequate security to all councillors and officials and to ensure maintenance of peace, discipline, and orderly conduct before, during, and after the election proceedings.
Yadav visited the Chandigarh MC, today to review the complete election-related arrangements and procedural preparedness. During the visit, the DC held a comprehensive review meeting regarding the conduct of elections. Senior officers of the Chandigarh MC were present and briefed the Returning Officer on the administrative, procedural, logistical, and security arrangements being put in place to ensure the smooth, lawful, and orderly conduct of the election.
