BJP, Akalis sweep Chandigarh civic polls

CHANDIGARH: The ruling Shiromani Akali Dal-BJP alliance in Punjab has won a sweeping victory in elections to the Chandigarh Municipal Corporation.

The alliance won 21 out of the 26 seats that went to polls on Sunday. While BJP candidates won on 20 of the 22 seats the party contested, the Akali Dal secured victory on one of the four seats it was allotted.

The opposition Congress could secure only four of the 26 seats where it had put up candidates. One seat went to an independent candidate. The Bahujan Samaj Party could not secure a single seat of the 17 it contested. In the outgoing corporation, the BJP had 15 seats, Congress nine and BSP one. One seat was held by an independent.

Political analysts said the victory has emboldened the ruling alliance ahead of the state assembly elections due in February. The Shiromani Akali Dal-BJP alliance has been in power in Punjab for almost 10 years. They also said the results show that the BJP-led central government’s decision to demonetise old Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes had little effect on the voter sentiment.

Prominent among those who won are the outgoing mayor and BJP leader Arun Sood and Congress stalwart Devinder Singh Babla. There were in all 122 candidates in the fray, including 67 independents.