In a strategic move, the Congress and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) declared a coalition for the upcoming mayoral polls scheduled for January 18 in Chandigarh. Senior Congress leader Pawan Bansal announced the alliance during a media briefing, stating, “The Congress and the AAP have decided that AAP will field its candidate for the post of Mayor in the Chandigarh mayoral polls. We will field candidates for the posts of Senior Deputy Mayor and Deputy Mayor. The result of this will be that our candidate from the I.N.D.I.A. bloc will be successful with a majority.”
Highlighting the shared objective of safeguarding democracy, Bansal hinted at the possibility of extending the alliance for the Lok Sabha elections expected in May. He emphasized the current need for unity, stating, “At this time, everyone has gathered together to save democracy.”
After forging alliance Kuldeep Tita would contest as Mayor from AAP party, Senior Deputy Mayor and Deputy Mayor would be contested by Gurpreet Gabi and Nirmala Devi from Congress. The previous nominated candidates against these posts have withdrawn their nominations on Monday.
The mayoral elections in Chandigarh will see a total of 35 councillors casting their votes, with the Mayor’s post reserved for a Scheduled Caste candidate. Presently, the BJP holds the support of 14 councillors and one Member of Parliament, while the AAP has 13 councillors, and the Congress has 7. The Shiromani Akali Dal contributes with a single councillor.
To secure a majority, a total of 18 votes are required, with the BJP having the highest count of 15 votes. However, if the AAP and Congress join forces, they will command 20 votes, potentially reshaping the political landscape in Chandigarh.