The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP)'s Chandigarh unit on Monday, 2 November 2026 alleged that Union Home Minister Amit Shah's visit to the city amounted to little more than pre-election promise-making, with no concrete solutions offered on long-pending civic issues ahead of the Chandigarh Municipal Corporation elections. The party said residents who had been waiting years for relief on housing and property rights were left disappointed.

What AAP Alleged

AAP Chandigarh city President Vijaypal Singh and councillors Anju Katyal and Deepa Dubey said residents had expected clear decisions on housing board flats, ownership rights, Lal Dora properties, leasehold properties, and rehabilitation colonies. According to Singh, the Home Minister presented no concrete plan or timeline during his visit that could offer residents any tangible hope of relief.

Singh questioned the purpose of the visit if the benefits promised to Chandigarh residents were to be delivered only through the Governor or the UT Administration. He accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of cycling through fresh promises every time elections approach, without making serious efforts to fulfil earlier commitments.

The ₹1,400 Crore Water Project Under Scanner

Singh also trained his criticism on the 24-hour water supply project in Manimajra, citing an expenditure of approximately ₹1,400 crore. He said the results had not matched the expectations generated by extensive publicity, and that residents continued to face problems related to both water availability and water quality.

He described the project as emblematic of what he called the BJP's governing pattern — announcements made on a grand scale, with promised benefits failing to reach people adequately on the ground.

Housing Rights Promised in 2019, Still Pending

The AAP leaders also took aim at the BJP over ownership rights for housing board flat owners. Singh recalled that in 2019, then-Chandigarh MP Kirron Kher had stated at the UT Guest House that the Centre and the Union Home Ministry had approved a proposal to grant ownership rights to residents. He questioned why eligible residents were still awaiting those rights in 2026, alleging that the BJP had remembered the issue only because civic body elections were approaching.

Displacement Fears Near Dhanas Colony

AAP leaders also raised concern over reports that a colony near Dhanas faces the threat of removal. They questioned why residents faced displacement when thousands of houses were reportedly lying vacant, and why rehabilitation and alternative accommodation had not been arranged beforehand.

The party said the prospect of families being rendered homeless during the festive season and the onset of winter was a serious concern that required an immediate response from the administration.

Political Context

The criticism comes as Chandigarh's civic body polls draw closer, sharpening the political contest between the AAP and the BJP for control of the Municipal Corporation. This is not the first time AAP has accused the BJP of leveraging high-profile Union ministerial visits for electoral optics rather than administrative outcomes. With housing, water, and displacement all live issues for large sections of city voters, the AAP appears to be seeking to draw a direct line between unfulfilled past pledges and the Home Minister's latest visit.