Chandigarh goes to poll today

In what is expected to be a close contest, 6,33,475 voters are set to elect 35 councillors for the Chandigarh municipal corporation on Friday.

This is the first civic poll after nearly entire Chandigarh, including its 22 villages, came under the jurisdiction of the municipal body.

The total wards were increased from 26 to 35 last year, after 13 new villages were added to MC’s limits in 2019.

As many as 203 candidates are in the fray, with three main contenders – the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the Congress and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) putting up candidates from all 35 wards.

Happening in the backdrop of the Covid-19 pandemic, the elections will be conducted with elaborate safety arrangements in place and facilities even for Covid patients.

Ruling BJP facing tough challenge

City voters will decide on Friday whether the electoral graph of the BJP will continue to see an upswing or whether its traditional rival Congress and a resurgent AAP are able to reverse its recent successes.

After a poor show in the 2006 MC elections, where it could get only six seats in a House of 26, the saffron party nearly doubled its tally in 2011 and then doubled it again in 2016.

Riding on its “vikas mantra”, the party is once again hoping to repeat the success after making its achievements in the last six years its main poll plank.

For the Congress, which had considered the City Beautiful as its safe bastion since its inception, the slide has been paralleled by the rise of BJP.

In addition to losing ground in civic polls, it lost to the BJP in the last two Lok Sabha elections as well. It has promised the city voters to make “Chandigarh No. 1 again” with an assurance not to increase or impose new taxes.

For the AAP, whose majority candidates are former Congress leaders, it remains to be seen whether it eats into the Congress votes or cashes in on the anti-incumbency, which previously went to the BJP.

Unlike, the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, the party this time around has campaigned aggressively, pushing its “Delhi Model”, along with loads of freebies.

Arrangements for Covid patients

Covid patients may cast their vote during the last hour of voting (4pm to 5pm). In case there are no Covid patients at a booth, polling will continue as usual.

The patients will require a doctor’s consent and will be brought to the polling station in designated ambulances. The polling booth presiding officers, where Covid patients will cast vote, will be informed in advance for taking required precautions.

Model polling station

The State Election Commission has set up nine model polling stations, where besides the assured minimum facilities, hot tea/coffee, sitting lounge and roses for senior citizens will be arranged. “A red carpet will also be laid out at these model polling stations, welcoming voters to cast their vote,” said the commission’s spokesperson.

Kher to visit city after a year to cast vote

The Chandigarh MP, Kirron Kher, will be in the city after nearly one year to cast her vote in the municipal elections.

Kher has been undergoing treatment in Mumbai from multiple myeloma, a type of blood cancer.

The MP on Thursday also released a video attacking the Congress and the AAP for the Dadumajra dumping ground mess. “We have delivered on most of our promises. One issue, the garbage dumping problem, will also be resolved. It was created by the Congress. The AAP leaders, who are now questioning it, were in Congress when the solid waste processing was set up by the Congress. Bansal sahab brought this company,” she said.

Responding to Kher’s allegations, former Union minister and senior Congress leader Pawan Bansal said it was a desperate attempt to salvage her crumbling image among the people of Chandigarh.

Criticising the MP for misleading the people, he said the garbage treatment plant was working efficiently till the Congress was at the helm in MC.

“The dumping ground was almost at ground level. Thereafter, the BJP MP as well as her party neglected the city openly. What steps did she or her party take to rectify the situation when the garbage dump began gaining height?” he asked.

“The fact is that she did nothing in the last seven years. Now by issuing such press statements, she wants people of Chandigarh to condone her gross dereliction of duty,” he added.

Holiday for employees of commercial units

The UT administration, repealing its earlier order, has declared December 24 as a paid holiday for all employees of factories, shops and commercial establishments falling in ward numbers 1 to 35.

Earlier on Wednesday, the UT administration had announced short leave for such employees.

Further, in a partial modification of the order issued on December 17, now dry day will be observed up to 9pm on December 24 and the whole day on the counting day (December 27).

Earlier, dry days were to be observed for the whole day from December 22 to 24 and on December 27.