Following a setback in the Chandigarh mayoral election, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) made a strong comeback, clinching victories in the senior deputy mayor and deputy mayor positions during the repoll held on Monday.
Kuljeet Sandhu of the BJP emerged victorious against the INDIA alliance candidate Gurpreet Singh Gabi with a 3-vote margin, securing 19 votes to Gabi’s 16. One vote was declared invalid. The saffron party also triumphed in the deputy mayor race, as Rajinder Sharma secured 19 votes against the alliance candidate Nirmala Devi’s 17, out of a total of 36 votes cast. The polling commenced at 10:26 am, with Chandigarh MP Kirron Kher exercising her vote. Notably, voting for the post of deputy mayor is slated to take place soon.
Earlier, on January 30, BJP’s mayoral candidate Manoj Sonkar, initially declared the mayor, had appointed Sandhu and Sharma as senior deputy mayor and deputy mayor. However, this decision was overturned by the Supreme Court, which declared Kuldeep Kumar as the validly elected Mayor of Chandigarh Municipal Corporation. During the repolling, after Kumar’s appointment, the BJP managed to secure the support of three AAP councillors, elevating its total strength in the 36-member house to 17. Additionally, with the vote of MP Kirron Kher and the backing of an Akali Dal councillor, the BJP secured a total of 19 votes, surpassing the AAP (10) and Congress (7) alliance.
Monday’s victory holds significance for the BJP, providing a crucial rebound after the backlash faced following the Supreme Court verdict on February 20. The previous election, marred by controversy over allegedly invalid votes, saw the BJP initially declaring victory. However, the Supreme Court validated votes in favor of Kuldeep Kumar, ultimately leading to his declaration as the Mayor of Chandigarh.