Chandigarh Mayor Election: Mayor Rescheduled in Chandigarh After High Court Order

Chandigarh Mayor Election: A day after the Punjab and Haryana High Court set aside the earlier notification, the UT Administration has issued a fresh notification for the mayoral elections. The elections will now be held on January 30, 2025, at 11 AM in the Assembly Hall of the Chandigarh Municipal Corporation (MC) building.

Deputy Commissioner Nishant Kumar Yadav announced the new poll schedule, following the High Court’s direction to conduct the elections after January 29, the tenure of the current Mayor Kuldeep Kumar. The last date to file nomination papers is January 25, 2025, with councillors able to submit their nominations between 11 AM and 5 PM.

Previously, the elections were slated for January 24, with January 20 as the deadline for filing nomination papers. The UT Administration had to withdraw its earlier notification issued on January 7 due to legal challenges.

In the 35-member MC House, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) holds 14 seats, while the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has 13, and the Congress has 7. The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) has one seat, and Congress MP Manish Tewari holds an ex-officio position with voting rights. The election process has now been adapted to reflect these new developments.

The BJP has announced its candidates: Harpreet Kaur Babla for Mayor, Bimala Dubey for Senior Deputy Mayor, and Lakhbir Singh Billu for Deputy Mayor. Meanwhile, adhering to their alliance agreement, the Congress has named Jasbir Singh Bunty for Senior Deputy Mayor and Taruna Mehta for Deputy Mayor. However, all nominations submitted prior to this fresh notification have been rendered null and void as per court orders.

The BJP, with 15 votes, is now seeking cross-voting to secure the 19 votes required to win the elections. The AAP-Congress alliance, with a combined strength of 26 votes, is aiming to counter BJP’s strategy. As per the new schedule, all parties are preparing to revise their candidate lists accordingly, with heightened political activity expected in the coming days.

The High Court’s intervention has significantly impacted the political landscape in Chandigarh, setting the stage for a fiercely contested election.