The AAP needs the support of 19 councillors to elect its Mayor, the BJP needs 18 as the Chandigarh MP, who is an ex-officio member in the House and has a vote, belongs to the BJP. After the surprising results of the Chandigarh Municipal Corporation elections, the next race is for the post of the Mayor. The AAP has 14 seats, the BJP 12, the Congress eight and the Akalis one seat.
Every party is trying to have its Mayor.
Sources said that the BJP is in talks with the Congress while the Congress is trying to have an alliance with the AAP to have its Mayor.
The AAP needs the support of 19 councillors to elect its Mayor, the BJP needs 18 as the Chandigarh MP, who is an ex-officio member in the House and has a vote, belongs to the BJP.
The BJP, sources said, tried to contact a Congress councillor seeking an assurance of
support of five seats to them and in return they will get the post of Mayor or Senior Deputy Mayor.
However, the Congress is said to be in talks with the AAP to thwart the BJP’s chances of having its Mayor.
City BJP chief Arun Sood stated that their party will contest all the three posts — Mayor, Senior Deputy Mayor and Deputy Mayor.
“BJP will play an important role in forming a stable government in the city. I am hopeful that the newly elected public representatives would come with the BJP to speed up development and would participate in the development of the city,” Sood said.
He further added, “I appeal to the public representatives to come with the BJP for the post of Mayor in the name of development.”
The AAP councillors, however, had been told not to speak to anyone as the party leadership will be deciding what to do next.
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