CHANDIGARH: Just before the Punjab assembly election early next year, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) bagged 14 seats out of 35 in Chandigarh Municipal Corporation, pushing BJP to second number.
AAP won 14 of 35 municipal seats, with the BJP close behind at 12 seats. The Congress won eight seats and the Akali Dal stayed at its previous tally of one seat. The high stake elections were held on December 24, in Chandigarh, the capital of Punjab and Haryana.
After AAP won 14 seats, national convenor and Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal tweeted, “This victory of Aam Aadmi Party in Chandigarh Municipal Corporation is a sign of change in Punjab’s future. People of Chandigarh rejected the corrupt politics and chose the honest politicians of AAP. Many congratulations to all the winning candidates and workers of AAP. Now Punjab is ready for the change.”
Meanwhile, AAP Punjab election co-incharge Raghav Chadha took a jibe on other Punjab political parties by saying, “Chandigarh results toh trailer hai, Punjab ki poori picture abhi baaki hai” (Results of Chandigarh is just a trailer. Full picture of Punjab is awaited)
In a huge setback for the BJP, its mayor Ravi Kant Sharma and former mayor Davesh Moudgil were both defeated by AAP candidates. However, AAP’s election campaign committee head Chander Mukhi Sharma lost.
Chandigarh had 26 seats in the previous civic election. This time, a few villages were shifted from the Gram Panchayat and brought under the urban civic body.
In the last polls, the BJP had bagged 20 seats (77 percent of the seats) and its then ally Akali Dal had a single seat. The BJP-Akali Dal’s rival Congress had won four seats (15%). The BJP and the Akali Dal fell out earlier this year over the farmer protest.