Hours before apex court hearing, Chandigarh Mayor resigns; 3 AAP councillors join BJP (Ld)

Chandigarh Mayor Resigns Ahead of Supreme Court Hearing

In a significant development, Chandigarh Mayor Manoj Sonkar resigned from his post on Sunday, just hours before the scheduled Supreme Court hearing on Monday. This move has paved the way for a fresh mayoral election in Chandigarh.

The resignation came as three Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) councillors joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and extended their support to the BJP candidate in the Municipal Corporation House. The rebel councillors who shifted their loyalties to the BJP are Gurcharanjit Singh Kala, Neha, and Poonum Devi.

Currently, the BJP holds a total of 15 votes in the Municipal Corporation House, with 14 councillors and an ex officio member, which is an MP, in a 35-member House. On the other hand, the AAP has 13 councillors, while the Congress has seven. The Shiromani Akali Dal has one councillor in the House.

With the shifting of loyalties, the BJP is set to have 18 votes, while the AAP will be reduced to 10 votes. This shift in the dynamics of the Municipal Corporation House adds an interesting layer to the upcoming mayoral election.

The Supreme Court is scheduled to hear a plea filed by the AAP, alleging that the BJP tampered with the postal ballots during the January 30 Chandigarh mayoral poll. The case has drawn attention to the closely contested mayor elections, with the BJP candidate winning by a narrow margin in the previous year’s election as well.

Last year, the BJP’s Anup Gupta won the mayor election by just one vote, securing 15 votes against AAP’s Jasbir Singh Laddi, who secured 14 votes. The Congress and Shiromani Akali Dal abstained from the voting. Similarly, in 2022, the BJP candidate also won by a narrow margin after a vote was declared invalid for various reasons.

The unfolding political developments in Chandigarh are likely to have a significant impact on the upcoming mayoral election and the power dynamics within the Municipal Corporation House.

Overall, the resignation of the Chandigarh Mayor and the shifting of loyalties by the AAP councillors have set the stage for an intriguing political battle in the city, ahead of the Supreme Court hearing. The outcome of the mayoral election will continue to be closely watched as the political landscape in Chandigarh undergoes shifts and changes.

–IANS
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