The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and the Congress are jointly contesting the Chandigarh Mayoral elections scheduled for January 18. While an AAP candidate will run for the mayor's post, two deputy mayors will be from the Congress, according to AAP Rajya Sabha MP Raghav Chadha.
Mayoral elections in the Union Territory will set a tone for Lok Sabha elections, believes Chadha.
“INDIA alliance is contesting its first election. On 18 January, there are going to be mayoral elections in Chandigarh which will lay the foundation for Lok Sabha polls. This election is between the INDIA alliance and BJP,” said Chadha on January 16.
According to him, the INDIA alliance is holding discussions with various parties on seat-sharing in different states and a final decision will be announced soon. Chadha also noted that senior leaders from AAP and Congress are currently discussing the seat-sharing blueprint not just for Delhi and Chandigarh, but also for other key states including Gujarat, Goa, and Haryana.
“We are sure after registering victory in these mayoral polls, it will send a message of the INDIA alliance’s presence right from Kashmir to Kanyakumari,” he noted.
Chadha further noted that the alliance's ultimate call on seat-sharing for the upcoming elections will be declared within a week.
“Discussions with the Congress party are yielding results that exceed our expectations. Our discussion with Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge has solidified our resolve to contest the Lok Sabha elections,” Chadha added.
In the 35-member Chandigarh Municipal Corporation, the BJP holds 14 councillor seats. Additionally, the party has an ex-officio member who is an MP and possesses voting rights.
The AAP is represented by 13 councillors, while the Congress has seven. The Shiromani Akali Dal is represented by one councillor in the House.
In both 2022 and 2023, the Congress opted to abstain from voting, paving the way for the BJP's triumph in the mayoral polls.
Elections for the three positions are conducted annually within the five-year tenure of the House. In the present year, the mayoral seat has been earmarked for the Scheduled Caste (SC) category.
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