Chandigarh, January 29, 2026: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) emerged victorious in the Chandigarh mayoral election on Thursday, securing a comfortable majority and electing party councillor Saurabh Joshi as the new mayor. The BJP bagged 18 votes, sealing a one-sided outcome in the civic contest.
Support for Joshi was evident even before the voting process began, with party members extending congratulations in advance. In a departure from past practice, the election was conducted through a show of hands by councillors instead of a secret ballot, making the proceedings more transparent.
This election marked the first time that all three major political parties contested the mayoral post independently. In the previous two elections, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and the Congress had jointly fielded candidates as alliance partners.
According to officials, seven votes, including that of a Member of Parliament, were cast in favour of the Congress candidate. The municipal corporation is now set to conduct separate voting for the posts of senior deputy mayor and deputy mayor.
The result underscores the BJP’s strengthened position in Chandigarh’s municipal politics and signals a shift in the city’s civic power balance.
