Mayoral poll: Decision on alliance with AAP on Jan 12, says Chandigarh Congress in-charge

Rajeev Shukla also met local Congress leaders, including former Union minister Pawan Kumar Bansal and Chandigarh Congress president HS Lucky, and discussed the 2024 Lok Sabha elections

All India Congress Committee (AICC) general secretary and Chandigarh in-charge Rajeev Shukla, who met Congress councillors on Wednesday, said the decision on an alliance with the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) for the January 18 mayoral poll will be taken on Friday.

All India Congress Committee general secretary and Chandigarh in-charge Rajeev Shukla, who met Congress councillors on Wednesday. (HT Photo)

Although the AAP had 14 councillors in the 35-member MC House following the December 2021 MC elections, its councillor Taruna Mehta had joined the Congress in May last year. On Wednesday, another AAP councillor Lakhbir Singh joined the BJP, further denting its numbers.

Now, the AAP has 12 councillors in the House. On the other hand, the BJP has 15 councillors, along with member of Parliament (MP) Kirron Kher’s ex-officio vote, and the Congress has seven councillors. If AAP and Congress join hands, they will have 19 councillors, the requisite number to win the mayoral polls. In the last mayoral elections in 2022 and 2023, the Congress had abstained from voting, paving the way for BJP’s win.

Earlier on Thursday, Shukla met local Congress leaders, including former Union minister Pawan Kumar Bansal and Chandigarh Congress president HS Lucky, and discussed the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. On being asked about the candidate from Chandigarh, he said, “The party high command will take a decision on this.”

Shukla exhorted the local party organisation to strengthen the cadres up to the booth level and fight the upcoming election unitedly. Shukla urged the party workers to send the message of Rahul Gandhi once he begins his Bharat Jodo Nyaya Yatra from January 14.

Speaking on the occasion, Bansal praised Shukla for his astute political management and said wherever he took up the party’s responsibility, the Congress always won.

Introducing the Congress office-bearers to the national general secretary of the party, HS Lucky asserted that the Chandigarh Congress was fully prepared to fight the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. “The Congress will win the Chandigarh seat with a thumping margin,” he said.