Chandigarh Mayor Election: How BJP Won Despite Congress-AAP Alliance Having More Votes?

Chandigarh Mayor Election: The Chandigarh Mayor election has once again proven to be a political battleground, with the BJP securing victory despite having fewer original votes than the Congress-AAP alliance. The BJP, which initially had 14 councilors, managed to increase its count through alliances and strategic cross-voting, securing 19 votes to defeat the Congress-AAP candidate Prem Lata.

How Did BJP Turn the Tables?

Before the elections, the INDIA alliance (AAP + Congress) had a total of 21 votes, including:

13 AAP councilors
7 Congress councilors
1 MP vote
To secure a mayoral victory, the alliance needed at least 19 votes, but they only managed 17 due to cross-voting and defections.

Meanwhile, the BJP's original count of 14 councilors increased to 19, thanks to:

Congress defection: BJP convinced a Congress leader, Gurubaksh Rawat, to switch sides three days before the election.
Cross-voting: Three unidentified Congress-AAP councilors voted in BJP’s favor.
Support from Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD): The sole SAD councilor, who had boycotted the previous election, voted for BJP this time.

Congress-AAP’s Failed Strategy to Prevent Cross-Voting

To prevent poaching and cross-voting, AAP had sent its councilors to Ropar, while Congress members were moved to Ludhiana. Despite this, the BJP successfully orchestrated defections and internal sabotage, leading to their unexpected victory.

Key Players Behind BJP's Victory

Political sources suggest that BJP’s senior leaders, including former governor Sanjay Tandon and Chandigarh BJP chief JP Malhotra, played a crucial role in securing last-minute votes. The two were also seen strategizing with BJP councilors at Sukhna Lake just before the election.

Congress-AAP Wins Senior Deputy Mayor Seat Despite Mayor Loss

Interestingly, while the Congress-AAP alliance lost the mayor post, they still managed to win the senior deputy mayor position, highlighting the complex nature of voting patterns in the election.

BJP's Reputation Damage from 2024 Mayor Election Controversy

In the 2024 Chandigarh Mayor elections, BJP had won due to vote cancellations, but the Supreme Court later overturned the result, declaring AAP’s candidate the rightful winner. The court had also raised concerns over vote counting irregularities, and CCTV footage of the counting process had gone viral, causing national embarrassment for BJP.

This time, the BJP ensured a legitimate electoral victory through strategic alliances and defections, avoiding procedural controversies.