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Political tensions escalated in Chandigarh on Sunday as Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) workers staged protests, alleging that family members of councillors who recently defected from the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) to the BJP were being targeted by the authorities ahead of the mayoral elections.
The protests followed the arrest of the sister of Councillor Suman Devi by the Punjab Police on Sunday morning. Suman Devi, along with Councillor Poonam Devi, had joined the BJP in December, weeks before the crucial mayoral election in the Chandigarh Municipal Corporation. Reacting strongly to the incident, Chandigarh Mayor Harpreet Kaur Babla termed it a "petty incident" and criticised the manner in which women were allegedly treated. "A petty incident occurred in Chandigarh today. This is an educated city where women are well-respected. The manner in which women have been dealt with was very wrong," the Mayor said. She linked the development to the changing political equations in the municipal corporation, stating that the mayoral election had become a challenge for rival parties after two councillors joined the BJP. "The mayoral election is a challenge to them because two of their councillors have joined us recently. They are concerned that the Mayor will once again be from the BJP. So, they did this today," Babla added. The mayoral elections in the Chandigarh Municipal Corporation are scheduled to be held on January 29, with nominations to be filed on January 22. The BJP, Congress, and AAP are currently deliberating on potential candidates for the posts of mayor, senior deputy mayor, and deputy mayor. The defection of Suman Devi and Poonam Devi to the BJP, which took place in the presence of Chandigarh BJP president Jatinder Pal Malhotra, Mayor Harpreet Kaur Babla and senior leader Sanjay Tandon, has significantly altered the numerical strength in the House. With open voting set to decide the mayoral post, the BJP now has 18 councillors and requires just one additional vote to secure victory, putting it in a strong position ahead of the polls. The current mayor's tenure will conclude on January 29, 2026. (ANI)
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