A total of 36 votes were cast, including 35 newly elected councillors and one vote of MP Kirron Kher. Eight councillors- seven belonging to the Congress and lone Akali Dal councillor Hardeep Singh.
After abstention by eight councillors, the situation stood at 14 councillors for AAP, and 12 councillors for the BJP plus one vote by MP Kirron Kher. But things changed drastically when Congress leader Harpreet Kaur Babla joined the BJP. This meant that both BJP and AAP now had 14 votes in their favour.
One AAP vote declared invalid
While the BJP and AAP were heading for a tie, things changed again, when one AAP vote was declared invalid because of a tick mark on the other side of the ballot paper. The Presiding Officer, therefore, declared 14 votes in BJP’s favour and 13 votes in AAP’s favour, owing to the cancellation of one AAP vote.
BJP grabs prime posts in Chandigarh Municipal Corporation
Things have changed upside down for the BJP and the AAP since the 2013 Delhi Assembly polls. During the 2013 polls, BJP had emerged as the single largest party with 32 seats, whereas AAP came second with 28 seats and the Congress won 8 seats in the 70-member Assembly.
Yet, the BJP had failed to form government in the National Capital and Kejriwal-led AAP formed government in Delhi with outside support from the Congress.
The Chandigarh Municipal Corporation results have, however, involved totally reverse equations as the BJP has managed to win prime posts despite AAP emerging as the single largest party. BJP candidate for the post of Chandigarh Mayor Sarabjit Kaur is now the newly elected Mayor of the Municipal Corporation. Also, BJP leaders Dalip Sharma and Anup Gupta have become her deputies.
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It’s an advantage for BJP in Punjab
Chandigarh may be a Union Territory, but it is also the joint capital of the states of Haryana and Punjab. The victory for Bharatiya Janata Party in Chandigarh Municipal Corporation elections thus gives it an upper hand in Punjab which will go to the polls next month.
For the BJP, Punjab elections are becoming a very important contest. Firstly, the opposition parties have tried to corner it over the farmers’ protests that ended last year and the party would want to prove that it does have a significant presence in the state.
And secondly, Punjab politics has become a matter of national interest after the recent security lapse during Prime Minister Modi’s visit to the state. With allegations and counter-allegations getting exchanged over the incident, the Bharatiya Janata Party would want to ensure that it can put up an impressive show in Punjab. And the Chandigarh Municipal Corporation results is just the kind of boost that it needed.