The Chandigarh Municipal Corporation election results on Monday threw a hung House as no single political party secured a clear majority, even as Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) emerged as the single largest party in the Corporation elections by winning 14 wards (seats) in the 35 members Corporation.
The AAP contested the elections for the first time and has emerged as the leading party in the elections. The ruling BJP won 12 seats and remained at the second spot. The Congress party won eight seats while the Shiromani Akali Dal secured one seat, according to State Election Commission.
No single party has been able to secure the majority figure of 19 seats in the Chandigarh Municipal Corporation.
The electoral battle for the Chandigarh Municipal Corporation was being keenly watched as the Union Territory - Chandigarh is a joint capital of Punjab and Haryana and assembly elections in Punjab are only a few months away. The elections results have come as a big boost for AAP - the new entrant while the BJP suffered a major jolt as it has now lost control over the Corporation by losing its majority. BJP’s sitting mayor Ravi Kant Sharma was among prominent people losing the election. Two other former BJP Mayors - Davesh Moudgil and Rajesh Kalia also lost.
Interestingly, to garner support for the BJP, Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal, Himachal Pradesh Chief Minster Jai Ram Thakur and even Union Minister Anurag Thakur had campaigned in the city. Also, the sitting Member of Parliament from Chandigarh Kiron Kher is from the BJP.
The Delhi Chief Minister and AAP supremo Arvind Kejriwal was the key campaigner for the party in the elections.
Raghav Chadha AAP MLA and co-in-charge Punjab affairs, said “Chandigarh’s victory is a trailer. Punjab elections will be full picture and people of Punjab will choose Kejriwal’s model of honest governance too, just like people of Chandigarh gave a chance to Kejriwal.”
In 2016, the number of wards was 26, which were increased to 35 this year. The election saw a three-cornered fight between the BJP, the Congress and the AAP. In the 2016 elections, the BJP had won 20 seats while the Congress had won four seats. The SAD had won one seat.
