Chandigarh mayoral election will be held next week - on January 30 - the Punjab and Haryana High Court said this afternoon, dismissing an order by the city's Deputy Commissioner that abruptly deferred the polls, claiming "a thorough assessment of the security and law and order situation" - to next month.
A division bench set aside that order and said polling for the posts of Mayor, Senior Deputy Mayor, and Deputy Mayor would be held at 10 am next Tuesday. The court was responding to a petition filed by an Aam Aadmi Party councillor, Kuldeep Kumar, who had challenged the Chandigarh administration's order.
The election - pitched as a crucial display of unity between the AAP and the Congress, to support failing seat-sharing talks between the INDIA bloc members - was supposed to take place on January 18.
It was postponed to February 6 after Presiding Officer Anil Masih fell ill, triggering protests. AAP leader Raghav Chadha said INDIA had 20 of 36 votes and accused the BJP of being a bad loser.
READ | Raghav Chadha's "Gully Cricket" Swipe At BJP Over Chandigarh Mayor Polls
The AAP and the Congress had reached a deal - the former will contest the mayoral seat and the latter will put up candidates, against the BJP, for the post of Senior Deputy and Deputy Mayor.
READ | "Scorecard 1-0 In INDIA's Favour": AAP, Congress Tie Up For Key Polls
The deal was hailed as a breakthrough moment for the Congress-led INDIA bloc, which was then (and still is) struggling to convince its allies to share seats.
Seat-sharing agreements are proving to be a real challenge for the INDIA bloc, a grouping of over two dozen parties that wants to defeat Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the BJP in the April/May election.
READ | INDIA Unity Takes A Hit From Bengal. Hours Later, Another From Punjab
The AAP and the Congress have been unable to split Lok Sabha seats in Delhi (seven) and Punjab (13), with local leaders of the former - the ruling party in each - unwilling to ally with a party they see as a rival. Earlier today Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann insisted his party will contest all 13 seats on its own.
READ | "No Tie-Up With Congress": Mamata Banerjee's Bengal Twist Stuns INDIA Bloc
The remarks came hours after Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, whose Trinamool is also an INDIA member, all but ruled out a Lok Sabha seat-sharing deal with the Congress in her state.
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