Congress-AAP Hold Talks to Prevent BJP Retaining Chandigarh Mayor Post
Congress and AAP discuss strategy to unite 18 votes against BJP's 18 in Chandigarh mayor polls.
Ahead of the Chandigarh mayoral election on January 29, the Congress and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) are exploring ways to prevent the BJP from retaining the mayor’s post, despite recent public spats between the two parties. While no formal alliance has been announced, Congress leaders said discussions are ongoing.
Chandigarh Congress President Harmohinder Singh Lucky stated, “No formal alliance with AAP as of now, but talks are on to block BJP,” adding that a high-level meeting with the party’s senior leadership is planned to finalise strategy for the polls. Earlier tensions flared when AAP’s Chandigarh in-charge, Jarnail Singh, accused Congress of a tacit understanding with the BJP, an allegation strongly rebutted by Lucky.
Numbers in the 35-member Municipal Corporation are delicately balanced. The BJP currently holds 18 councillor seats after two AAP councillors defected in December. AAP has 11 councillors and Congress six. With the Congress MP’s ex-officio vote, opposition parties could potentially reach 18 votes—just one short of the simple majority of 19 required to win, assuming all 36 votes are cast.
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This year, the election will also see a procedural change: voting for the mayor, senior deputy mayor, and deputy mayor will be by an open show of hands rather than a secret ballot, a measure aimed at improving transparency following controversies in previous polls.
Candidate announcements remain under wraps, with both the BJP and the Opposition keeping their options confidential amid fears of councillor dissent. The evolving strategy and tight arithmetic suggest the upcoming mayoral poll could be a closely contested battle.
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