Emotions ran high in 1st major battle between I.N.D.I.A and BJP.
Drama, thrill, allegations and counter allegations — Chandigarh mayoral election has all these and more in matter of just few hours on Tuesday. In the end, the BJP achieved a surprise victory, dealing another setback to the I.N.D.I.A bloc, 12 days after the unexpected deferral of the election due to the returning officer’s illness.
After the BJP candidate was announced the mayor, protests erupted against presiding authority Anil Masih, who was accused of premeditated invalidations. The live telecast allegedly showed BJP leaders taking away and tearing ballot papers, prompting the need for marshals to control the situation.
The stakes for the one-year tenure post-election were high. The BJP’s significant win, securing the mayor and both deputy mayor positions, reflected a 16-0 victory. The Congress and AAP, protesting the mayor election, stayed away, claiming foul play and suggesting cross-voting within their ranks.
Before Tuesday’s voting, the Congress had seven councillors, AAP had 13 and the BJP had 15 votes, including those of the Chandigarh MP. The Congress and AAP anticipated an easy win with a total of 36 votes.
In the rotation, the mayor’s seat was reserved for a scheduled caste candidate. The result saw BJP’s Manoj Sonkar securing 16 votes, AAP’s Kuldeep Tita, backed by the Congress, receiving 12 votes. Eight votes declared invalid.
Earlier, voting was delayed, and confusion ensued as Akali Dal councillor Hardeep Singh sought to exercise the NOTA option, which was rejected due to the lack of provision in mayoral polls.
The mayoral polls were previously postponed on January 18 due to Anil Masih’s illness, leading to legal actions by AAP and Congress, who deemed it unconstitutional. The High Court ordered the resumption of polls on January 30.
Reacting to the result, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal called it “dishonest” and “very worrying.” AAP’s Raghav Chadha compared the situation to “treason,” demanding the arrest of the presiding officer.
Congress leader Pawan Bansal criticized the election process, alleging BJP members tore ballot papers. On the other hand, Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann demand to lodge FIR against Presiding Officer Masih on tempering ballot papers that can be seen clearly in camera clip.
Chandigarh’s mayoral polls gained attention in recent years, notably in 2022 when AAP won 14 seats, later equalized by a Congress councillor moving to the BJP. The subsequent year, in 2023, the BJP won, with the Congress abstaining from voting and undergoing shifts in councillor affiliations.
