OPINION | Will the outcome of the 2027 Punjab polls influence the Centre’s approach to Chandigarh?

A city prized by two states and the Centre

The absence of Lahore from India, the capital of undivided Punjab, is probably why the idea of Chandigarh was conceived. Six years after its conception and construction, in 1953, it became the capital of Punjab. Later, after the Punjab Reorganisation Act of 1966, it became the common capital of Punjab and Haryana.

After the reorganisation of Punjab, Chandigarh was administered by a chief secretary. However, in June 1984, during the peak of militancy, the Centre transferred administrative control to the Governor of Punjab. The chief secretary’s role now became that of an Adviser to the Administrator.

One city, three aspirants

Ever since its conception, Chandigarh has been a prize contested by three main stakeholders – Punjab, Haryana, and the Centre. However, the latter retains it as a Union Territory to avoid regional unrest.

It is an aspirational city, a city full of resources; it houses the Bhakra Beas Management Board office, which controls Bhakra Nangal dam water, the deserved share of which Haryana claims was to be allocated to it each year as per the Punjab Reorganisation Act 1966, but it never received. Punjab says it won’t part with a single drop.

Chandigarh also has the Panjab University campus, an inter-state body, but about which various Punjab governments have felt threatened ever since the NDA came to power, that the Centre may change its character and make it into a Central university. At present, though, the Centre hasn’t made any such commitment.

Chandigarh’s the HQ for many institutions

But keen observers of Punjab affairs say, if the Centre seizes control of Chandigarh, it would have everything that falls in the jurisdiction of Chandigarh – BBMB, PU and all the other resources. Such a move enhances central authority, aligns governance with other UTs and avoids potential inter-state frictions.

Prof Jagmohan, who has followed Punjab closely for the past four decades, says, “Centre wants tighter administrative control. The withdrawal of the proposal shows how sensitive and contested Chandigarh’s status remains.”  He adds, “I think BJP will wait for the 2027 Punjab Vidhan Sabha polls and then again bring in the same proposed Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill, 2025 to bring Chandigarh under Article 240.”

A brief explanation of Article 240

Article 240 of the Constitution grants the power to the President to make regulations for the peace, progress and effective governance of certain Union territories -- Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Lakshadweep, and Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu.

The Centre wants to club Chandigarh with these UTs and this could mean a transfer of administrative control from the Governor of Punjab to an L-G appointed by the President, as is the case with the other UTs.

Other measures which deepened doubts about the Centre’s motive

Prof Sukhwinder Singh, former professor at Centre for Rural Research and Industrial Development (CRIID), says, “Probably, the senior party leaders of the Punjab BJP, like Sunil Jakhar and others, would have advised the Centre not to go ahead with the Bill.” He adds, “Look at the sequence of events -- first, the security at Bhakra Nangal Dam was changed in October 2025. Earlier, the Punjab Police used to guard it, but now it is the Central Industrial Security Force CISF’s responsibility. This means that from next season, water to Haryana would be released as per the whims of the Centre. Then they tried to overhaul the structure of the Syndicate and Senate of the Panjab University. And now this Bill to bring Chandigarh under Article 240 seems to be a well-thought-out plan. Isn’t it?”

Punjab’s anxiety about losing Chandigarh

The prevailing sentiment in Chandigarh is that bringing the Union Territory under Article 240 would permanently sever its umbilical cord with Punjab. Chandigarh’s connection with Punjab, experts say, may then resemble Delhi’s with Haryana—parts of Delhi were carved out of Haryana way before Independence, yet the latter today has no claim over it. Opponents argue that Chandigarh could face a similar fate.

In Punjab, the Aam Aadmi Party, the Congress, and other opposition groups insist that the move is designed to distance Chandigarh further from the state. Even Punjab BJP president Sunil Jakhar has sought to calm anxieties when he tweeted: “Chandigarh is an integral part of Punjab, and the Punjab BJP stands firmly with the interests of the state, whether it is the issue of Chandigarh or the waters of Punjab…” Yet a lingering concern remains: even if the BJP has withdrawn the proposal for now, will the same Bill not return after the 2027 Punjab Assembly polls?