BJP's Saurabh Joshi Wins Chandigarh Mayor Election
BJP's Saurabh Joshi elected Chandigarh Mayor as Congress-AAP alliance talks fail.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) secured a decisive political win on Thursday as its candidate Saurabh Joshi was elected the new Mayor of Chandigarh. The result came after the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and Congress, despite being numerical allies on paper, failed to arrive at a joint strategy to challenge the BJP’s bid for the top post.
Saurabh Joshi received 18 votes in the 35-member municipal house, defeating AAP candidate Yogesh Dhingra, who secured 11 votes, and Congress nominee Gurpreet Singh Sabi, who polled seven votes. To win the mayoral election outright, a candidate required 19 votes, but the BJP’s consolidated support proved sufficient due to the divided opposition.
The BJP also tightened its grip on the municipal corporation by winning both Deputy Mayor posts. Jasmanpreet Singh was elected Senior Deputy Mayor, while Suman Sharma secured the Deputy Mayor position, with both candidates receiving 18 votes each. The Congress chose not to field candidates for the deputy posts, further strengthening the BJP’s advantage.
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The election arithmetic made a Congress–AAP alliance the only viable route to stopping the BJP. With the BJP holding 18 councillors, AAP 11, and Congress seven—including the vote of Chandigarh MP Manish Tewari—a united opposition could have forced an 18–18 tie, which would then have been decided by a coin toss under election rules.
However, sharp political differences prevented any such understanding. AAP leaders publicly ruled out an alliance, accusing the Congress of corruption and collusion with the BJP. AAP spokesperson Anurag Dhanda stated that there could “never” be an alliance with the Congress, directly contradicting claims by Congress leaders that discussions were underway to block the BJP.
The result highlights growing fractures within the opposition in Chandigarh’s civic politics. The 2026 mayoral term will be the final term of the current municipal corporation elected in 2022, with the mayor’s post reserved for the general category. With this victory, the BJP has gained significant momentum ahead of future political contests in the city.
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