Chandigarh Mayoral polls: Amid poaching fears, BJP shifts flock to Morni, Congress Kasauli

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, January 13

Fearing poaching by rival political parties ahead of the mayoral elections, the BJP councillors have left for Morni in Panchkula district, while those of the Congress have been shifted to Kasauli in Solan district of Himachal Pradesh.

AAP councillors were yesterday moved to a resort in Ropar district of Punjab yesterday. The councillors have been shifted to safe places in states ruled by respective parties.

Close contest

• 6 Cong councillors are likely to abstain from voting; final decision will be taken by party high command
• Lone SAD councillor too is likely to abstain, say sources. Party chief Sukhbir Badal will take final call at a Jan 16 meeting
• If both Cong & SAD abstain, 15 votes will be required for a win. BJP has 16 & AAP 15 votes in 36-member MC

The parties are worried about their councillors switching sides or indulging in cross-voting in favour of rival candidates in elections to be held on January 17, says a political analyst.

The Congress councillors are likely to abstain from voting. However, a final decision will be taken by the party high command. With the Congress out of the battlefield, it will be a direct fight between the BJP and AAP.

After filing of nominations, the BJP had asked its councillors to shift to Ambala, but some of them refused. Senior party leaders held a meeting today and decided to shift them to Morni. The councillors are likely to return on January 16 evening or the morning of January 17, the day of polling. The mayoral candidates are elected by councillors through secret ballot in the MC House, leaving chances of cross-voting. During the elections last year, the Congress had abstained from voting.

Party leaders say the main concern for both parties is the Mayor’s post. Soon after the BJP announced first-time councillor Anup Gupta as its candidate, there were murmurs of cross-voting by fellow councillors. Similarly, the AAP, which announced Jasbir Singh Laddi as its candidate, wants to ensure the ruling party gets none of its votes.

In the 36-member MC House, both AAP and BJP have 14 members each, while six councillors are from the Congress and one from the SAD. But with another vote of a Member of Parliament and ex officio member Kirron Kher, the BJP?has the edge. If the Congress and SAD abstain from voting, 15 votes will be required for a win.

The decision to vote by the lone SAD councillor will be taken on January 16 at a meeting to be presided over by SAD president Sukhbir Singh Badal. However, the SAD was likely to abstain, said sources.

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