'Mood of Punjab': AAP Registers Massive Win in Chandigarh Civic Body Polls Debut
While the AAP won 14 out of the 35 seats, the BJP's tally fell to 12 from the previous total of 20.
Chandigarh municipal corporation polls
(Photo: The Quint)
In its maiden attempt, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Monday, 27 December, registered a massive victory in the Chandigarh municipal corporation elections by winning 14 out of the 35 seats, pushing the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to the second spot.
While the BJP bagged 12 seats, the Congress managed to double its previous tally to eight. The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) won one seat.
Is the 2017 polls, the BJP had won 20 out of the 35 seats while the Congress had won four and the SAD just one.
'Just a Trailer'
AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal took to Twitter to say that the results indicate the mood of Punjab ahead of the upcoming Assembly elections.
"AAP's victory in the Chandigarh municipal polls hints at the changes that Punjab is expected to see. The people of Chandigarh today rejected corrupt politics and chose honest politics," Kejriwal tweeted.
Addressing the media earlier, AAP leader and Punjab in-charge Raghav Chadha said that the people of Punjab had made space for the governance-based politics of the AAP and that the performance in the civic polls was just a trailer ahead of the 2022 Assembly polls.
"This is the victory of Kejriwal's model of governance. The people of Chandigarh have given a chance to Kejriwal after getting fed up of the BJP-Congress flip flop for the past 25 years," Chadha said.
“I want to thank the people of Chandigarh on behalf of Arvind Kejriwal and the Aam Aadmi Party that they gave the party an opportunity in its maiden elections,” Chadha said.
Chadha further said that unlike other municipal polls, the AAP candidates have registered victories in several seats with huge margins.
“Chandigarh’s mood reflects the mood of Punjab. Chandigarh is just a trailer, Punjab will be the full picture,” he said.
The voting for the elections took place on 24 December with over 60 percent voter turnout.
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