Chandigarh, 7 January 2025: As speculation grows over a potential rift between the Congress and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) alliance in Chandigarh, senior leaders from both parties have officially initiated discussions to strategize for the upcoming mayoral elections.
Chandigarh Congress president HS Lucky confirmed that talks are ongoing, stating, “The discussions are progressing well, though no candidate has been finalised yet. A meeting of alliance councillors and leaders will take place soon to refine our strategy.”
Despite this, Congress leaders expressed discontent over the delay in formal discussions. As of January 4, no official meeting had been held between Congress and AAP leaders, fueling resentment within Congress ranks.
On January 3, Congress councillors made an abrupt exit from an AAP-hosted tea party held by Mayor Kuldeep Kumar Dhalor, after receiving instructions from their leadership to leave. “We were called back to Congress Bhawan for a meeting. It seems the senior leadership is unhappy with the AAP,” one Congress councillor stated.
They also criticized the lack of engagement on the mayoral race, adding, “Talks for mayoral elections typically start in December, but AAP showed no interest in meeting or selecting a candidate.”
The upcoming mayoral election in the 35-member Chandigarh municipal corporation (MC) House is critical for AAP to maintain control over key municipal positions.
AAP’s chances hinge on Congress support, as the two parties together have 21 votes—13 from AAP, seven from Congress, and one ex-officio vote from MP Manish Tewari.
On the other hand, the BJP holds 15 votes and is hoping to secure cross-votes or defection from the INDIA bloc to shift the balance in its favor.
In a turn of events, internal dissent has surfaced within AAP. Two of its councillors skipped a pivotal party meeting on Monday, further straining the party’s unity ahead of the mayoral elections.
These councillors had also missed two other major AAP events—Mayor Dhalor’s tea party and a Sukhna Lake trip. Their absence has raised concerns over potential shifts in allegiance within the party.
“Some of us feel sidelined, and there is frustration over stalled city development despite having our own mayor,” sources within AAP noted. These councillors had previously rejected their appointments as party office-bearers, signaling growing discontent within the AAP ranks.
