Chandigarh set to elect new mayor today

A mayor’s tenure in Chandigarh lasts for a year, and this time, the seat is reserved for a woman councillor.

With Gurbax Rawat switching from the Congress to the BJP, the party positions have changed. The BJP now has 16 councillors, while AAP and Congress together hold 20 votes, including the vote of Chandigarh MP Manish Tewari.

Of the 36 votes, a candidate needs 19 to win. The BJP is banking on support from three councillors through cross-voting.

Voting begins at 11 am through a secret ballot.

Lunch diplomacy and show of strength before polls

Amid reports of a rift within AAP, the party released a photo of all its councillors together at a Ropar hotel, including three who were reportedly upset. AAP said it was confident of winning the election.

Meanwhile, the BJP also put up a show of strength with a lunch at the Lake Club, attended by all its councillors.

Know your candidates

Harpreet Babla

Harpreet Babla, 60, is the daughter of a retired army colonel and a resident of Sector 27, Chandigarh. She is married to former councillor Devinder Singh Babla.

An alumna of Convent of Jesus and Mary, Dehradun, she holds a BA (Hons) in History and an MA in English. She has been elected as a municipal corporation councillor twice.

Prem Lata

Prem Lata, 46, the AAP candidate, resides in Sector 35, Chandigarh. Her husband, a retired Air Force officer, is currently an English teacher for classes XI and XII at a government school in Chandigarh.

She had to discontinue college after the first year due to marriage but later completed a one-year parlour course.

No mobile phones, gadgets allowed

On Wednesday, an order was issued prohibiting councillors from carrying mobile phones or gadgets.

“The election of the mayor, senior deputy mayor, and deputy mayor will be held by secret ballot without showing the front of the ballot paper to anyone, as per Regulation 6 of the Chandigarh Municipal Corporation (Procedure and Conduct of Business) Regulation, 1996,” the order stated.

It further added that mobile phones, cameras, weapons, electronic gadgets, pens, and pencils would not be allowed inside the assembly hall during the election process.

DC visits MC office to check arrangements, former judge present

Chandigarh Deputy Commissioner Nishant Kumar Yadav chaired a meeting at the Municipal Corporation office in Sector 17 to review the arrangements for the election.

He examined security measures, logistics, and compliance with guidelines, instructing officials to strictly follow the rule book. The police were directed to barricade the three roads leading to the MC office and deploy sufficient personnel to maintain law and order.

CCTV cameras have been installed inside the assembly hall to capture proceedings, with arrangements for storing recordings for a specified period.

Present at the meeting were former judge Justice Jaishree Thakur, Supreme Court-appointed observer Ramneek Singh Bedi, presiding officer Amandeep Singh Bhatti, and other officials.

DC issues order prohibiting gatherings of five or more

Chandigarh Deputy Commissioner Nishant Kumar Yadav issued an order on Wednesday evening prohibiting gatherings of five or more people around the MC building.

The order stated that the mayoral election could lead to potential disruptions and threats to public peace and security. To prevent such incidents, the DC invoked Section 163 of the Bhartiya Nagrik Suraksha Sanhita-2023, banning gatherings of five or more people within 100 metres of the MC building from January 29 to January 30.

The order will remain in effect from midnight on January 29 until 12 am on January 31.

The number game
• Winning votes required by BJP – 3
• BJP councillors – 16
• AAP and Congress councillors – 20 (including MP’s vote)
• Votes required to win – 19