Clean sweep for BJP: Saurabh Joshi is Chandigarh Mayor, Jasmanpreet Singh Senior Dy Mayor, Suman Sharma Dy Mayor
Joshi received 18 votes against 11 for the AAP candidate. The Congress' nominee got seven votes.
PTC News Desk: BJP leader Saurabh Joshi was elected as Chandigarh’s new Mayor on Thursday morning after alliance partners AAP and Congress failed to coordinate a joint plan. Joshi secured 18 votes, defeating AAP candidate Yogesh Dhingra, who received 11 votes, and Congress nominee Gurpreet Singh Sabi, who garnered seven.
The BJP also claimed both Deputy Mayor positions, with Jasmanpreet Singh elected as Senior Deputy Mayor and Suman Sharma as Deputy Mayor. Both received 18 votes each, while the Congress chose not to field candidates for these posts.
A minimum of 19 votes is required to win the mayoral race in the 35-member municipal council. The BJP, with 18 councillors, voted unanimously for its candidate. AAP holds 11 seats, while Congress has seven, including one vote from Chandigarh MP Manish Tewari.
Had AAP and Congress united, they could have forced a tie at 18 votes each — the only realistic scenario that might have prevented the BJP from winning the election outright.