Chandigarh mayoral elections have been postponed after the presiding officer fell sick, according to a Congress leader. However, there was no official word on postponing the mayoral polls.
Senior Congress leader Pawan Kumar Bansal on Thursday claimed that they have been informed that elections will “not take place today” as the presiding officer has fallen sick.
Bansal accused the BJP of not allowing the polls to take place as the saffron party was to face defeat in the elections. He also said that no next date for the poll has been given.
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The development came just ahead of the polling for the posts of mayor, senior deputy mayor and deputy mayor, PTI reported.
Meanwhile, AAP senior leader Raghav Chadha said they will move the Punjab and Haryana High Court.
Ahead of the Chandigarh mayoral polls, the municipal councillors of the Congress and the AAP staged a protest, claiming that they were not allowed to go inside the municipal corporation. Councillors owing allegiance to the AAP and the Congress also shouted slogans against the BJP.
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The Congress and the Aam Aadmi Party — both INDIA bloc members — have joined hands to contest the mayoral elections. Under the alliance, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) will fight for the mayor’s seat while the Congress will contest the posts of senior deputy mayor and deputy mayor.
In the 35-member Chandigarh Municipal Corporation, the BJP has 14 councillors. It also has an ex-officio member MP (Kirron Kher) who has voting rights.
The AAP has 13 councillors and the Congress seven. The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) has one councillor in the House.
(With inputs from PTI)