Manish Tewari pitches direct election of Chandigarh Mayor

With Chandigarh set to elect its Mayor, Senior Deputy Mayor and Deputy Mayor on Wednesday, Chandigarh MP Manish Tewari has called for a fundamental overhaul of the city’s civic governance structure, demanding the direct election of the Mayor for a fixed term of five years.

In a statement, Tewari said Chandigarh has seen around 30 Mayors, 30 Senior Deputy Mayors and 30 Deputy Mayors since 1996, amounting to 90 office-bearers in less than three decades. He said the short one-year tenure has rendered these positions largely ineffective, leaving the Municipal Corporation plagued by persistent structural problems, including a chronic resource crunch.

Tewari argued that the existing system has failed to deliver stable and accountable civic leadership. He said the only viable solution was to elect the Mayor and deputies directly by the electorate of Chandigarh for a five-year term, along with commensurate executive powers to enable them to discharge their responsibilities meaningfully.