BJP's Saurabh Joshi elected new mayor of Chandigarh
What's the story
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate Saurabh Joshi has been elected as the new mayor of Chandigarh. He received the support from all 18 of its councilors, while Congress candidate Gurpreet Singh Gabi got seven votes and Yogesh Dhingra of the AAP got 11. This was the first time since the current House's constitution in 2022 that all three parties contested the mayoral race independently.
Vote
Polls were held with a show of hands
Instead of using a secret ballot, the polls were held with a show of hands. After raising their hands, councilors gave their verbal confirmation. To win the mayoral election, a candidate must receive 19 votes from the 35-member House. The BJP has 18 councilors, and they all voted for their candidate. The AAP has 11, while the Congress has six.
Power share
AAP ruled out alliance
Therefore, the only way to stop the BJP from winning this election was for the Congress and the AAP to form an alliance. However, last week, the AAP dismissed reports about an alliance with the Congress. "There is no alliance....with the Congress anywhere, nor can there ever be any alliance. The Congress has looted this country in collusion with the BJP. The AAP is the real voice of the common man's struggle against these two parties," AAP's Anurag Dhanda said.