Chandigarh Mayor Election: AAP-Congress Alliance Rift Out In Open
Chandigarh: BJP candidate Harpreet Kaur Babla‘s win in the Chandigarh mayoral election on Thursday has left open the split between INDIA bloc alliance partners, the Congress and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP). Although the alliance had 20 votes with them, three councillors among them cross-voted, and it proved in favour of BJP candidate’s success.
Among the total number of 36 votes, BJP’s Babla received 19 votes, while Congress-AAP alliance candidate Prem Lata got 17 votes. Following the setback, AAP attacked Congress for cross-voting and violating coalition principles. AAP leaders have also warned Delhi voters to be cautious of a “secret alliance” of BJP and Congress in the forthcoming Assembly polls.
After the BJP win, Punjab minister Harpal Singh Cheema told ANI: “The figures that came after the election, that 17 votes went to AAP and 19 to BJP, similar happened in deputy and senior deputy mayor when 19 votes went to Congress and 17 votes went to BJP… This clears that the actual alliance was between BJP and Congress and therefore they (the latter) backstabbed AAP mayor… AAP honestly voted for Congress which is why they could have the majority.”
As per the reports, celebrations were also held in the Punjab Congress wing as the leaders called the Chandigarh results were “revenge” for AAP’s “excesses” in the Amritsar Municipal Corporation elections. In the Amritsar elections, AAP secured the mayor, senior deputy mayor and deputy mayor posts despite having fewer councillors than the Congress. A Congress leader, seeking anonymity told Indian Express that despite Congress being majority, AAP installed its mayor in Amritsar subverting the Constitution of India and democracy.
As per the reports, the Punjab unit of Congress had expressed discontent over Congress high command’s decision to enter into alliance with AAP in the Chandigarh mayoral elections, since latter chose to go solo in the Delhi assembly elections.
The voting began at 11 am through secret ballot process in the Assembly Hall of the Chandigarh Municipal Corporation. The elections took place under the supervision of Justice Jaishree Thakur, retired judge of Punjab and Haryana High Court, who was appointed by the Supreme Court to supervise the elections. With the election win, the BJP has maintained control over the Chandigarh mayor seat, establishing an important political development for the party in the city.
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The mayor in Chandigarh is elected for a year. The elections for he posts of mayor, senior deputy mayor, and deputy mayor were held on Thursday. Congress’s Jasbir Singh Bunty and Taruna Mehta secured senior deputy mayor and deputy mayor, respectively.
During the Chandigarh Mayoral polls held last year, a controversy erupted after presiding officer and nominated councillor Anil Masih was accused of discrediting eight votes to allegedly favour the BJP candidate.
