In what could be a precursor to Lok Sabha polls, the AAP and Congress have arrived at an understanding on contesting the Chandigarh mayoral polls in an alliance, to deny BJP the post.
Under the arrangement, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) will fight for the mayor's seat while the Congress will contest the posts of senior deputy mayor and deputy mayor. The development came amid the AAP and the Congress, both constituents of the INDIA bloc, holding talks over seat sharing for this year's Lok Sabha polls.
With the AAP and the Congress deciding to have a tie-up for the January 18 Chandigarh mayoral polls, it is going to be a two-way contest and the two parties will have an edge over the Bharatiya Janata Party.
In the 35-member Chandigarh Municipal Corporation, the BJP has 14 councillors. The party also has an ex-officio member MP who has voting rights. The AAP has 13 councillors and the Congress seven. The Shiromani Akali Dal has one councillor in the House.
Polls for the posts of mayor, senior deputy mayor and deputy mayor will be held on Thursday. The Congress abstained from voting in 2022 and 2023, leading to the BJP's victory in the mayoral polls. Elections for the three posts are held every year during the five-year term of the House. This year, the mayor's seat has been reserved for the Scheduled Caste (SC) category.
Senior Congress leader and former Union Minister Pawan Bansal said the "beginning of the end of BJP's rule will initiate from Chandigarh". He stated that this would honour the mandate of the people of Chandigarh and will also force the BJP to sit in opposition in the Municipal Corporation.
After the alliance between AAP and Congress, leaders and candidates from both parties arrived at the Municipal Corporation on Monday to withdraw their nominations.
Before the alliance decision, both Congress and Aam Aadmi Party had fielded their candidates for all three positions, but now, with the change in the situation, Congress's Jasbir Banti has withdrawn his name for the mayor's position, and the AAP candidate has withdrawn for the positions of Senior Deputy Mayor and Deputy Mayor.
