Chandigarh Mayoral poll: Parties keep cards close to their chest

Two days are left for the filing of nominations for the posts of Chandigarh Mayor, Senior Deputy Mayor and Deputy Mayor, but suspense continues over the candidates and a possible alliance between the Congress and AAP.

The BJP as well as the Opposition are keeping their cards close to their chest. Their leaders are not revealing the names of the candidates, fearing the backlash of councillors. Both the ruling BJP and the Opposition (Congress and AAP) have equal numbers in 35-member MC House. The Chandigarh MP also has voting right in the mayoral elections.

Jatinder Pal Malhotra, Chandigarh BJP president, said the party would announce the candidates on January 22, the last day for the filing of nominations. He was in New Delhi on the occasion of the election of the BJP national president.

Sources said he held a meeting with the top party leadership over the election issue.

Though AAP and the Congress leaders are all set to fight the election with some understanding, they also have not officially announced any candidate so far.

City Congress president HS Lucky said the party was ready to help any party to defeat the BJP. He clarified there was no official talk with the AAP leadership yet on the mayoral elections. “We will be holding a meeting with our councillors soon.

After that we will have discussions with the central leadership. The names of the candidates or any decision will be announced on January 22,” he said.

Lucky said the Congress had decided to have some understanding with AAP in the 2024 mayoral elections to stop the BJP from winning the mayor’s post.

Dr Sunny Singh Ahluwalia, co-in-charge of the Chandigarh AAP, said no decision had been taken regarding any alliance with the Congress so far. Any decision regarding the candidates or the understanding with the Congress will be announced on January 22, he added.

The mayoral elections are scheduled for January 29. It is a close contest as both BJP and the Opposition have equal number after two AAP councillors, Suman Sharma and Poonam, joined the BJP recently. To win the election of Mayor, 19 votes are required. The BJP has 18 councillors in the House, the Congress six and AAP 11. The Chandigarh MP also has voting right. The decision to hold the Mayor’s election by a show of hands this time has made all parties to change their strategies. Cross-voting played a major role in close contests during the elections by secret ballot.

BJP appoints Tawde as observer

Bharatiya Janata Party national president Nitin Nabin, who assumed charge on Tuesday, has appointed Vinod Tawde, BJP national general secretary, as election observer for the Chandigarh Mayor’s poll. Arun Singh, who is another national general secretary of the party, has issued a letter in this regard and sent it to the in-charge and state president of the Chandigarh BJP.