Chandigarh Mayor resigns ahead of fresh mayoral election
Hours before the Supreme Court hearing on Monday, Chandigarh Mayor Manoj Sonkar resigned from the post, clearing the way for a fresh mayoral election. It is reported that three AAP councillors are likely to join BJP and extend their support to the BJP candidate in the Municipal Corporation House.
The rebel councillors identified as Gurcharanjit Singh Kala, Neha, and Poonam are expected to shift their allegiance to the BJP. Currently, the BJP holds a total of 15 votes in the 35-member Municipal Corporation House, consisting of 14 councillors and an ex officio member, an MP. The AAP, on the other hand, has 13 councillors, while the Congress has seven and the Shiromani Akali Dal has one.
With the potential shifting of loyalties, the BJP is anticipated to have 18 votes, leaving the AAP with 10. In the last mayoral election in January, Anup Gupta of the BJP secured victory by a slim margin of one vote, with 15 votes to the AAP candidate’s 14. The Congress and Shiromani Akali Dal abstained from the voting.
It is notable that the 2022 mayoral election also resulted in a victory for the BJP candidate by just one vote, after a vote was declared invalid due to various reasons. With these developments, the upcoming mayoral election is expected to be keenly contested.
The resignation of Chandigarh Mayor Manoj Sonkar and the potential shift in party allegiances has set the stage for an intriguing and closely-fought mayoral election in the Municipal Corporation House.
The forthcoming election is crucial for all parties involved and is likely to have far-reaching implications for the political landscape in Chandigarh. The Supreme Court hearing on the matter is set to take place on Monday, adding further anticipation and significance to the evolving political scenario in the city.
