Chandigarh Mayor elections to be held on January 29 via 'show of hands' voting
PTC News Desk: In Chandigarh, councillors are elected for a five-year term, but the mayor, senior deputy mayor and deputy mayor are chosen every year through indirect elections. For the first time in the city’s history, these elections will be conducted through a show of hands by councillors instead of the secret ballot.
The move to scrap the secret ballot was taken after the 2024 vote-rigging controversy, when then presiding officer Anil Masih was caught on camera tampering with ballot papers.
As in the past, the contest will be a straight fight between the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP)-Congress alliance. The House has 35 councillors along with one ex officio vote of the sitting Member of Parliament, meaning a camp needs at least 19 votes to win the mayoral post.
After two AAP councillors recently switched sides, the BJP’s strength has risen to 18, leaving it just one vote short of a majority. The rival alliance also has 18 votes — 11 from AAP councillors, six from Congress and one from MP Manish Tewari — setting up a closely fought contest.
SOPs in place
Under the standard operating procedures (SOPs), councillors must clearly raise their hands when their names are called. Votes will be tallied through visual checks along with verbal confirmation. To prevent any confusion or disputes, proper documentation will be maintained, including a vote register and detailed minutes of the meeting. Video recordings of the proceedings will be preserved for at least 90 days or as directed by the competent authority. In the interest of transparency, media coverage and live streaming of the election process will also be permitted, wherever allowed.
- With inputs from agencies
