BJP sweeps Chandigarh mayoral polls: Saurabh Joshi elected Mayor in three-cornered contest
Saurabh Joshi received 18 votes in the 36-member Chandigarh Municipal Corporation. AAP’s mayoral candidate Yogesh Dhingra secured 11 votes, while Congress nominee Gurpreet Singh Gabi received seven votes.
4 min readChandigarhUpdated: Jan 29, 2026 12:59 PM IST
The results were announced shortly after the completion of voting, formally ushering Saurabh Joshi into office as Chandigarh’s new Mayor. (Express Photo)
The Bharatiya Janata Party’s Saurabh Joshi was elected the new Mayor of Chandigarh Thursday after securing a majority in the Municipal Corporation mayoral election, which witnessed a three-cornered contest among the BJP, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), and Congress.
BJP councillors Jasmanpreet Singh and Suman Sharma were elected as Senior Deputy Mayor and Deputy Mayor, respectively.
The results were announced shortly after the completion of voting, formally ushering Saurabh Joshi into office as Chandigarh’s new Mayor.
Joshi received 18 votes in the 36-member House. AAP’s mayoral candidate Yogesh Dhingra secured 11 votes, while Congress nominee Gurpreet Singh Gabi received seven votes.
The election was held amid heightened political interest, as all three parties contested the mayoral post independently for the first time since the present House was constituted in 2022. With no pre-poll alliance, the outcome largely reflected the parties’ numerical strength in the Corporation.
Meanwhile, the Congress abstained from the senior deputy mayor and deputy mayor polls.
Voting began at 11 am and was conducted through an open show of hands, following a notification issued by the Chandigarh Administrator. This marked a departure from the earlier practice of secret ballots and was introduced in the wake of controversies surrounding the 2024 mayoral election, with the aim of ensuring greater transparency.
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The Municipal Corporation has 35 elected councillors, and the city’s Member of Parliament is also entitled to vote, bringing the total electorate to 36. A candidate required at least 19 votes to be elected Mayor.
The BJP, which has 18 councillors, fell just short of the halfway mark on its own but managed to secure enough support to ensure Joshi’s victory. The AAP, with 11 councillors, and Congress, with six, failed to make a dent in the BJP’s tally.
Earlier in the day, speculation over possible cross-voting and informal understandings among Opposition parties had added to the suspense. However, the final count showed no major deviation from party positions.
Jasmanpreet Singh is Chandigarh’s Senior Deputy Mayor
BJP councillor Jasmanpreet Singh was elected Senior Deputy Mayor of the Municipal Corporation of Chandigarh after securing 18 votes in the election.
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While AAP candidate Munawar Khan received 11 votes, Congress nominee Sachin Galav received no votes because Congress councillors and Chandigarh MP Manish Tewari were not present in the House during the voting.
After casting their votes in the mayoral election in favour of Congress candidate Gurpreet Singh Gabi, Congress councillors walked out of the House, leading to their absence during the Senior Deputy Mayor’s election.
During the proceedings, when newly elected Mayor Saurabh Joshi called out the name of Congress nominee Sachin Galav for voting, it was noted that he was not present in the House.
The election was conducted through an open show of hands in accordance with the notified procedure, and the results were declared immediately after voting.
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Suman Sharma elected Deputy Mayor of Chandigarh
Suman Sharma of the BJP was elected Deputy Mayor of the Municipal Corporation of Chandigarh after securing 18 votes.
AAP councillor Jaswinder Kaur, who was also in the fray, received 11 votes. AAP councillor Ramchandra Yadav, who had filed his nomination as an Independent candidate, withdrew from the contest moments before the voting process began.
The withdrawal came after Mayor Saurabh Joshi invited candidates to announce any withdrawals before the start of the election for the deputy mayor’s post, after which Yadav formally withdrew his nomination.
Congress candidate Nirmala Devi received no votes, as Congress councillors abstained during the elections for the posts of Senior Deputy Mayor and Deputy Mayor.
Nishant Kumar Yadav, Deputy Commissioner, Thursday reviewed the preparations, focusing on law and order, security arrangements, deployment of officials and coordination among departments.
Jagpreet Singh Sandhu is a Senior Correspondent at The Indian Express, based in Chandigarh. He is a veteran reporter with over a decade of experience, specializing in legal, crime, and environmental reporting across the tri-city area (Chandigarh, Mohali, and Panchkula).
Professional Background
Core Beat: He primarily covers the Punjab and Haryana High Court, District Courts, CBI Courts, and Consumer Commissions. His legal reporting is known for breaking down complex judgments and tracking long-standing criminal cases.
Environmental Reporting: Jagpreet has become a key voice in reporting on the deteriorating air quality and weather patterns in the Punjab-Haryana region.
Crime & Technology: He frequently reports on cybercrime, digital arrest scams, and the intersection of technology and law enforcement, such as the development of citizen-centric policing apps.
Recent Notable Articles (Late 2025)
His late 2025 coverage has focused on significant judicial verdicts, major financial scams, and public health concerns:
1. Legal & CBI Court Verdicts
"12 years on, CBI court acquits Haryana judge, parents in wife’s death case" (Dec 17, 2025): Detailed coverage of the acquittal of a judicial officer in a high-profile dowry death case from 2013.
"‘Wicked & evil mind’: Court gives man 30-year term for kidnapping, sexually assaulting 8-year-old" (Dec 16, 2025): A report on a stern judgment from a Chandigarh district court in a POCSO case.
"Man acquitted in rape case after victim found ‘very happy’ in wedding reception" (Dec 9, 2025): Covering a unique legal observation regarding consensual relationships and age verification.
2. Investigative & Scams
"CBI registers FIR in Rs 1.14-cr Patient Welfare Grant scam at PGIMER" (Dec 19, 2025): An exposé on how funds meant for poor patients were siphoned off through forged documents and a photocopy shop inside the PGIMER campus.
"Month-long torture, Rs 85 lakh transfers: How ‘Innocence Certificate’ led to a ‘digital arrest’ of an elderly couple" (Dec 12, 2025): Detailing a sophisticated cyber fraud targeting senior citizens in Chandigarh.
3. Environment & Public Safety
"Panchkula air turns ‘very poor’, fourth worst in country" (Dec 22, 2025): Reporting on the sudden spike in pollution levels in Panchkula compared to neighbouring cities.
"Soon, you can snap that overspeeding car, and report to Chandigarh Police" (Dec 16, 2025): Breaking news on a new mobile application being developed to allow citizens to report traffic violations via geo-tagged photos.
4. Gangster Culture & Crime
"City Beautiful in the crosshairs of gangsters" (Dec 14, 2025): A feature analysis of how Chandigarh has increasingly become a staging ground for extortion and rivalries between gangster modules.
"Shooters wanted for Parry murder held by Delhi Police Special Cell" (Dec 18, 2025): Following the developments in a high-profile murder case in Chandigarh’s Sector 26.
Signature Style
Jagpreet is recognized for his tenacious follow-up on cold cases and his ability to report on courtroom drama with a focus on victim rights. His work often highlights administrative lapses, whether in the handling of patient welfare funds or the enforcement of environmental standards. ... Read More
