Chandigarh MC polls: Cong to release complete list of candidates by December 2

The Congress is also being careful that none of its leaders gets annoyed after the announcement and part ways and thus have thought of releasing the list near the closing of the nominations, that is December 4.

The first list of confirmed candidates of senior leaders, around 10 of them, is expected to be out by November 27 or November 28. (Representational)

With the Chandigarh Municipal Corporation elections scheduled for December 24, the city Congress has decided that it will release its complete list by December 2.

Sources said that apart from 10 to 12 confirmed leaders of the party who will be fielded in the elections, the Congress will first be looking at the candidates being fielded by the BJP.

The first list of confirmed candidates of senior leaders, around 10 of them, is expected to be out by November 27 or November 28. However, all other seats which can turn out to be disputed or have to be declared after seeing the BJP’s candidates will be done later by December 2.

The Congress is also being careful that none of its leaders gets annoyed after the announcement and part ways and thus have thought of releasing the list near the closing of the nominations, that is December 4. It wants to avert incidents of rebels filing nominations independently.

In the Congress, its councillor Devinder Singh Babla is planning to field his wife Harpreet Babla from his ward as it was reserved for women. Sources said that Harpreet has already started campaigning in the ward and meeting people. However, this time Babla also wants to contest from another ward, Palsora belt likely, a decision which the party high command has to take.

Similarly, the Congress’s Gurbax Rawat is also likely to be fielded from the same ward where she is the councillor from, that is sectors 39 and 40. This is even when the ward has been declared as general ward.

Sheela Devi, who represents ward no. 5 as of now, is also to be fielded from the same ward. She has won twice and the party is looking at the winnability angle.

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From ward no. 13, Sachin Galav, former president of Panjab University, is likely to be fielded by the Congress. Galav has already started campaigning in the belt after receiving an informal go-ahead.

AAP already took a u-turn in its first list
Just minutes after announcing its first list, the AAP had made a U-turn stating that there was an error in the list. However, the very next day, the AAP released the names of the same people calling them ‘ward incharges’.

Sources said that this was because of the fact that the senior founder members of the AAP were upset that those were given the go-ahead as candidates who had just joined the party and had not contributed the way they had.

Hina Rohtaki

Hina Rohtaki is a Special Correspondent at The Indian Express, based in Chandigarh. She is one of the most prominent journalists covering the Chandigarh Administration, civic issues, and the unique political status of the Union Territory. Professional Background Experience: She has been in the field for over a decade and is known for her investigative reporting on administrative waste and urban governance. Awards: She is a recipient of the prestigious Ramnath Goenka Excellence in Journalism Award, which was presented to her by the President of India in January 2020. She was also awarded the Jethmalani prize (The Will of Steel Awards) in 2025 in the Empowerment category for a series of articles that highlighted the struggles of Covid widows. Core Beat: Her primary focus is the Chandigarh administrative structure, the Union Territory's financial management, and urban development projects. Recent Notable Articles (Late 2025) Her recent work highlights a focus on government accountability, administrative expenditures, and civic trends: 1. Investigative & Financial Reporting "Fuelling power: Senior UT IAS officers guzzled petrol worth Rs 30 lakh in 2 yrs" (Dec 14, 2025): An investigative report detailing the high fuel bills of top bureaucrats, including the Finance Secretary and Chief Secretary’s staff. "Admn spends Rs 1.5 crore on dismantling road railings and fixing again after increasing height" (Dec 8, 2025): Highlighting administrative waste on "non-viable" solutions for pedestrian control. "Chandigarh’s finances under ministry’s watch now" (Nov 27, 2025): Reporting on the new requirement for MHA approval for all new projects in the UT. 2. Governance & Constitutional Status "What will it mean for Chandigarh if it is brought under Article 240?" (Nov 24, 2025): An "Explained" piece on the potential constitutional shift that would grant the President more power over the UT's governance. "MP Manish Tewari moves Bill seeking directly elected Mayor with 5-year tenure" (Dec 6, 2025): Covering the legislative push to reform Chandigarh's municipal leadership structure. "No proposal to increase Mayor's term in Chandigarh by 5 years: Centre" (Dec 10, 2025): Reporting on the Union government's response to demands for a longer mayoral term. 3. Urban Infrastructure & Environment "Chandigarh admn cuts power to India's tallest air purifier, asks firm to dismantle it" (Nov 17, 2025): A critical report on the failure of a high-cost environmental project deemed "of no use" by experts. "UT rethinks 24/7 water supply project as costs soar" (Nov 26, 2025): Detailing the financial challenges and delays in modernizing the city's water network. "Centre 'obfuscating, covering up' MC's shifting deadlines for clearing Dadu Majra dump" (Dec 12, 2025): Reporting on the ongoing controversy surrounding the city's major waste dump. 4. Lifestyle & Local Trends "Chandigarh turns into a Thar city as women fuel the surge" (Dec 2, 2025): A feature on a unique automotive trend in the city, with a record 600 registrations by women drivers this year. "After fivefold spike in 2023, EV sales struggle to pick pace in Chandigarh" (Dec 2, 2025): Analyzing the slowdown in electric vehicle adoption despite previous surges. Signature Beat Hina is known for her meticulous tracking of RTI (Right to Information) data to expose administrative inefficiency. Her "Ground Zero" reporting on the Dadu Majra garbage dump and her scrutiny of the Chandigarh Smart City projects have made her a key figure in the city’s civil society discourse. X (Twitter): @HinaRohtaki ... Read More

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