BJP's Harpreet Kaur Triumphs in Chandigarh Mayoral Election
Click to start listening
Synopsis
In a fiercely contested election, BJP's Harpreet Kaur Babla emerged victorious as Chandigarh's new mayor, defeating AAP's Prem Lata. The election was influenced by cross-voting within the INDIA bloc, resulting in a significant political shift.
Key Takeaways
- Harpreet Kaur Babla wins Chandigarh mayoral election.
- Cross-voting by three councillors impacted the outcome.
- The election was contested between BJP and AAP.
- Focus on urban development and civic issues anticipated from the new mayor.
- Former Congress councillor Gurbax Rawat switched allegiance to BJP.
Chandigarh, Jan 30 (NationPress) In a tightly contested election, the INDIA bloc’s Congress-AAP coalition could not secure the Chandigarh mayoral position, primarily due to cross-voting by three councillors. As a result, the BJP's Harpreet Kaur Babla has been elected as the new mayor.
Harpreet Kaur Babla received 19 votes, while her closest competitor, AAP candidate Prem Lata, garnered 17 votes.
The election was a direct battle between AAP’s Prem Lata and BJP’s Harpreet Kaur Babla.
As the newly elected mayor, Harpreet Kaur Babla aims to prioritize urban development and tackle significant civic challenges to enhance residents' quality of life.
BJP Chandigarh vice president Devinder Singh Babla, who is also the husband of the newly elected mayor, attributed their victory to the party's effective strategy and the performance of the outgoing AAP Mayor Kuldeep Kumar.
“We were assured this outcome. Mayor Kuldeep Kumar compensated for everything lacking. He demonstrated misuse of corporation resources... We will investigate this,” said Devinder Singh Babla.
In the lead-up to the election, senior Congress councillor Gurbax Rawat defected to join the BJP.
In response to the INDIA bloc's loss, BJP leader Sanjay Tandon stated, “Where was their (INDIA bloc) majority? I don’t believe they ever had one... They chose BJP for Chandigarh’s progress.”
This election, reserved for women, involves a one-year term.
Within the 35-member assembly, the AAP-Congress coalition held 19 councillors - 13 from AAP and six from Congress, while the BJP had 16.
The coalition also counted on one vote from ex-officio member and MP Manish Tewari, bringing their total to 20 votes.
The BJP was banking on cross-voting or defections to reach the 19 votes needed for a majority, as stated by a senior Congress leader.
The voting process was conducted via secret ballot. Amid reports of internal discord, AAP had even released a photograph of councillors being housed in a hotel in Punjab’s Ropar to avert “poaching.”
The image featured three councillors who were allegedly “discontent” with the party.
Harpreet Kaur Babla, serving as a councillor for the second time, is the daughter of a retired Army Colonel and is married to former councillor Devinder Singh Babla, who was previously associated with Congress.
AAP candidate Prem Lata, 46, is the spouse of a retired Indian Air Force officer and currently teaches English to Class XI and XII students in a government school.
Following the defection of Congress rebel councillor Gurbax Rawat to BJP on January 27, the AAP and Congress relocated their councillors out of the city.
This mayoral election marks the fourth year in a five-year rotational system. Prior to this term, the BJP had maintained the seat for nine consecutive years.
To oversee the mayoral election, the Supreme Court appointed former Punjab and Haryana High Court judge Justice Jaishree Thakur as an independent observer earlier this week.
During the election process, the use of mobile phones, cameras, weapons, electronic devices, pens, and pencils was strictly prohibited.
