BJP sweeps mayoral election in Chandigarh, wins top three posts

Chandigarh: BJP swept the mayoral elections in Chandigarh with their candidates winning all three -- Mayor, Senior deputy mayor and deputy mayor seats on Saturday (January 11). 

BJPs Rajbala Malik has become the new mayor of Chandigarh, defeating Congress candidate Gurbaksh Rawat. A total of 27 votes were cast in the mayoral elections, out of which 22 votes went to Rajbala Malik while Ravikant Sharma became senior deputy mayor and Jagtar Singh Jagga became deputy mayor. BJP was also successful in stopping cross-voting.

BJP MP Kirron Kher expressed happiness at winning all three posts and said that all BJP councillors are united. The BJP has 20 councillors, Akali Dal has one councillor and one was her own vote which added to the winning total for the party candidates.

Kher said there was never any doubt of cross-voting and it was all created by the Congress. She also said that Congress should focus on increasing the number of its councillors instead of creating controversy.

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This will be Rajbala Malik's second tenure as a Mayor, she had earlier won in 2014 as a Congress candidate. Lawyer-turned-politician Malik said, "Whichever party I have represented I have always been loyal to it." She added that the city has to be number one in cleanliness and everything else.

When asked about Haryana Deputy CM Dushyant Chautala recommending her name, Malik said, "I only know that councillors made me the mayor." 

Malik said, "Whether it's the financial crisis at the Municipal Corporation or issues related to street vendors, I will solve them all." She said public opinion will be taken at all turns and spoke about bringing work transparency.

The senior deputy mayor and deputy mayor made the city's development a priority. Senior deputy mayor Ravikant Sharma said that the financial crisis of the Municipal Corporation will be solved while deputy mayor from Manimajra, Jagtar Jagga said that he will work for the development of the city. 

In the last two elections, due to factionalism among BJP councillors and cross-voting hurt them while Congress took advantage of it. This time it was a challenge for the BJP to stop cross-voting. Both Rajbala Malik and Heera Negi were in the running for the post of mayor, but just moments before the nomination was to be filed Rajbala Malik's name as the official candidate was announced. So, BJP was afraid of cross-voting from councillors supporting Heera Negi.

Of the total 26 councillors in Chandigarh, BJP has 20 councillors, Akali Dal has one whereas Congress has five councillors. The MP has one vote too which means a total of 27 votes are cast. The term of the Mayor in Chandigarh is for one year.