Chandigarh Municipal Corporation polls: BJP's clean sweep- wins Mayor, Senior Deputy and Dy Mayor posts

BJP's Saurabh Joshi clinched the Chandigarh Municipal Corporation Mayor post on Thursday, powering a clean sweep that also secured Senior Deputy Mayor and Deputy Mayor roles. The decisive win unfolded in a tense triangular battle against AAP and Congress contenders.

Vote breakdown: Joshi's 18-vote rout

In the Mayor race, Joshi grabbed 18 votes matching BJP's councillor tally, while AAP's Yogesh Dhingra earned 11 and Congress' Gurpreet Singh Gabi got 7. This mirrored the house split (BJP:18, AAP:11, Congress:6 + MP vote), with opposition unity failing to materialize.

Open voting ushers transparency

Ditching secret ballots, polls used show-of-hands with verbal confirmations under presiding officer Ramneek Singh Bedi, a nominated councillor. The process ensured no cross-voting surprises, solidifying BJP's hold amid past controversies.

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Suman Sharma, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate, won the post of Deputy Mayor in Chandigarh Municipal Corporation elections 2026. 

BJP candidate Jasmanpreet Singh won the post of Senior Deputy Mayor in Chandigarh amid the municipal corporation elections on January 29. 

BJP candidate Saurabh Joshi has been elected as the new Mayor of Chandigarh Municipal Corporation, securing victory in the high-stakes show-of-hands poll. His 18 votes matched the party's councillor strength, clinching the post amid the razor-thin contest. Outpacing Congress's Gurpreet Gabbi's earlier 7-vote tally (including MP Manish Tewari), Joshi's win averts a lot toss in the 18-18 BJP vs opposition standoff—capping intense drama for the 35-member house. Congratulations pour in as civic leadership shifts!

Following Congress's Gurpreet Gabbi's earlier 7-vote tally (including MP Manish Tewari), Joshi's haul tilts momentum toward BJP in the 18-18 deadlock. With 19 needed for victory, the opposition's response could force a lot toss.

In the intensifying Chandigarh Mayor election, BJP candidate Saurabh Joshi secured a solid 18 votes through the ongoing show-of-hands count. This matches BJP's full councillor strength, signalling party unity.

Congress candidate's early lead

In the Chandigarh Mayor election, Gurpreet Singh Gabbi (Congress) secures 7 votes in the initial tally via show-of-hands. The count includes 6 councillors plus the 7th from MP Manish Tewari. This edge fuels excitement in the razor-thin 18-18 BJP vs Congress-AAP battle, with 19 needed to win outright. 

Chandigarh MP Manish Tewari has called for a fundamental overhaul of the city’s civic governance structure, demanding the direct election of the Mayor for a fixed term of five years. Manish Tewari earlier said Chandigarh has seen around 30 Mayors, 30 Senior Deputy Mayors and 30 Deputy Mayors since 1996, amounting to 90 office-bearers in less than three decades. He said the short one-year tenure has rendered these positions largely ineffective, leaving the Municipal Corporation plagued by persistent structural problems, including a chronic resource crunch. Tewari argued that the existing system has failed to deliver stable and accountable civic leadership. He said the only viable solution was to elect the Mayor and deputies directly by the electorate of Chandigarh for a five-year term, along with commensurate executive powers to enable them to discharge their responsibilities meaningfully.

Voting began in BJP vs AAP-Congress showdown in Chandigarh on Thursday (January 29) as all councillors arrived for polling.

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BJP fields Saurabh Joshi (Mayor), Jasmanpreet Singh (Senior Deputy Mayor), and Suman Sharma (Deputy Mayor). Party holds 18 councillors post recent inductions. Congress nominates Gurpreet Singh Gabi (Mayor), Sachin Galav (Senior Deputy Mayor), and Nirmala Devi (Deputy Mayor). AAP picks Yogesh Dhingra (Mayor), Manuar Khan (Senior Deputy Mayor), and Jaswinder Kaur (Deputy Mayor).

Political experts believe that if Congress and AAP decide to contest independently, the BJP could find the path to victory easier. However, if the two opposition parties choose to coordinate, the election could turn into a nail-biting contest. According to Municipal Corporation Act, if two candidates secure an equal number of votes, the winner will be decided through a draw of lots.

For the Deputy Mayor post, the BJP has fielded Suman Sharma, Congress has fielded Nirmala Devi, and AAP’s official candidate is Jaswinder Kaur. Interestingly, AAP councillor Ramchander Yadav is contesting the Deputy Mayor’s post as an Independent candidate. His nomination has been proposed by two Congress councillors, further complicating the political arithmetic.

To win the Mayor’s post, a party needs 19 votes. BJP has 18 councillors, the Congress has 6, and AAP has 11. The Member Parliament also has one vote, making BJP and the Congress-AAP alliance tied at 18 votes each. If at all, they contest separately, BJP might win easily, but a joint contest would make it interesting.

BJP has fielded Saurabh Joshi, whereas Congress has fielded Gurpreet Singh Gabi and AAP has named Yogesh Dhingra as its candidate for post of Mayor. And for the Senior Deputy Mayor, Jasmanpreet Singh is BJP canadidate, Sachin Galav from Congress, and Manuar Khan is AAP canadidate whereas for Deputy Mayor post Suman Sharma is in fray form BJP, Nirmala Devi from Congress, Jaswinder Kaur from AAP, and Ramchander Yadav independent is in fray.

Year-wise Mayors (2021-2026 term):

• 2022 (January-December): Harpreet Kaur Babla (BJP)- Elected post-results via BJP's majority after defections; served initial term.
• 2023: AAP's Kuldeep Kumar briefly became mayor via Supreme Court order overturning BJP win, but term ended amid reversals.
• 2024: BJP regained with Damanpreet Singh or similar (post-defection flux); exact name varies in records.
• 2025: Harpreet Kaur Babla (BJP) re-elected in February 2025 polls, defeating AAP amid ongoing BJP dominance.

BJP has held mayor post predominantly through 2021-26 term despite AAP's 2021 plurality, leading to today's fresh elections with BJP (18 seats) facing Congress-AAP alliance potential.

BJP's strategic moves, including eight AAP councillors defecting to BJP in early 2022 (later challenged in court), allowed it to clinch key posts despite the vote split. Initial mayor election saw BJP's candidate prevail amid drama; Supreme Court later ordered AAP's candidate as mayor in 2023 after a tiebreaker controversy involving lottery draws, but political flux continued with further defections restoring BJP control by mid-term. 

The Chandigarh Municipal Corporation (MC) election held on December 24, 2021, with results declared on December 27, saw AAP contesting for the first time and winning 14 of 35 seats to become the single largest party. BJP secured 12 seats, Congress took 8, and Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) got 1, leaving no outright majority (18 needed). Despite AAP's lead, BJP formed the government through councillor defections and cross-voting during mayor polls, marking a controversial start with accusations of horse-trading.

Chandigarh Municipal Corporation holds elections today for Mayor, Senior Deputy Mayor, and Deputy Mayor amid intense political buzz. Voting will kick off at 11 AM via show of hands.

Polling will start at 11 am under Presiding Authority Dr Ramneek Singh Bedi. Councillors will raise hands; visual counts and oral confirmations to ensure dispute-free minutes. Unlike past secret ballots marred by defections, open voting curbs surprises. With hours ticking, no last-minute party switches reported.

If Congress and AAP fight separately, BJP cruises to win easily. Opposition coordination turns it into a thriller, observers predict. Equal votes trigger a draw of lots per Municipal Corporation Act. No secret ballot drama this time- pure show of hands.

Mayor victory demands 19 votes in the 35-member house. BJP holds 18 after recent inductions, Congress has 6, AAP 11, plus 1 MP vote- tying BJP against a Congress-AAP combine at 18 each.