Chandigarh MC polls: AAP emerges leading party, BJP second in hung verdict

New entrant Aam Aadmi Party has emerged as the leading outfit in the Chandigarh Municipal Corporation polls, winning 14 of 35 wards in the final results declared on Monday.

The BJP, which enjoyed a majority in the previous MC House, came a close second registering win in 12 wards while the Congress bagged eight seats and the Shiromani Akali Dal one. Current Chandigarh Mayor and BJP candidate Ravi Kant Sharma was defeated by AAP’s Damanpreet Singh, who won by a margin of 828 votes in Ward No 17.

AAP leader and Delhi MLA Raghav Chadha called his party’s performance a “trailer” before next year’s Punjab Assembly polls. Chandigarh is the joint capital of Punjab and Haryana. This time, the number of wards in the city was increased from 26 to 35. Traditionally, the municipal elections, held every five years, see a locking of horns between the BJP and the Congress, but the AAP’s entry made the contest this time triangular.

In the results declared on Monday, AAP leader Chander Mukhi Sharma lost to Congress’ Sachin Galav by a margin of 285 votes from Ward No 13. Chander Mukhi had joined AAP after quitting the Congress last year. Former mayor and BJP candidate Davesh Moudgil lost to AAP’s Jasbir by 939 votes from Ward No. 21. In Ward No. 25, BJP Yuva Morcha leader Vijay Kaushal Rana was defeated by Yogesh Dhingra of AAP by a margin of 315 votes.

The ward was earlier represented by Chandigarh BJP president Arun Sood. From Ward No.2, Congress leader Harmohinder Singh Lucky lost by a narrow margin of 11 votes to BJP’s Maheshinder Singh Sidhu.