Political bigwigs of the Bharatiya Janta Party (BJP) and Congress would turn up in Chandigarh to woo the voters for their party candidates in the ensuing civic body elections.
With the high-stakes political battle slated for December 18, the political parties SAD-BJP combine and the Congress are all set to bring in their party’s heavyweights to garner support for the candidates.
The municipal corporation polls are being considered as a litmus test for the BJP, which had made a clean sweep in the mayoral elections held earlier this year by winning all the three key posts of mayor, senior deputy mayor and deputy mayor in the city. The polls in 26 wards of Chandigarh are also keenly watched as they are being held post demonetisation and BJP’s recent victory in Maharashtra and Gujarat’s civic body election.
Both the Congress and BJP would be banking on their Central leaders during the election campaigning in the city. The BJP, which had began its election campaigning with a rally of party’s national president Amit Shah last month, is now gearing up to bring in a brigade of stalwarts in national and regional politics.
On the other hand, the Congress is also banking on national leaders and Sidhu couple. The Congress is trying hard to bring in cricketer turned politician Navjot Singh Sidhu, whose wife Dr Navjot Kaur Sidhu had formally joined the Congress recently after leaving the BJP.
While Navjot Singh Sidhu has not formally joined the Congress, the party’s local unit has put in a request with its central leadership to urge Sidhu for campaigning, as he was regarded as BJP’s ace crowd-puller and could sway the electorate with his gift of the gab.
Eyeing to win maximum seats in the election, the BJP which has sitting MP Kirron Kher, is also planning to bring in Union Ministers namely Nitin Gadkari, JP Nadda, Chaudhary Birender Singh, Gen. (retd.) VK Singh, Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore, Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi for campaigning.
Among others who are in the list of star campaigners include Delhi BJP chief Manoj Tiwari, BJP spokesperson Syed Shahnawaz Hussain, BCCI president and BJP MP Anurag Thakur.
Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal and his Haryana counterpart Manohar lal Khattar, Punjab deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal, senior Ministers in Punjab and Haryana Cabinet are also expected to address the voters seeking their support for the party candidates.
After the setback in mayoral polls earlier this year, the Congress is also trying its best to ensure victory in the upcoming municipal election. Captain Amarinder Singh, who is former Punjab Chief Minister and current Punjab Congress president is scheduled to address political rallies for the party candidates.
Besides Sidhu couple, the Congress has planned to rope in prominent leaders including party general secretary Digvijay Singh, former Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda, Himachal Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh, Uttarakhand Chief Minister Harish Rawat, Haryana Congress chief Ashok Tanwar, senior leader Randeep Surjewala among others.
The Congress has stepped up the ante against the BJP over the issues of inconvenience faced by public after demonetization, poor sanitation, lack of development among others during its electioneering while the BJP is banking on the development works carried out by Administration and civic body under party’s rule.
Even as both the parties are making all out efforts to win the MC poll, rebels who were denied the ticket are also posing problems for Congress and BJP.
Chandigarh has around 5,07,190 voters including 2,70,358 males, 2,36,819 females and 13 third gender. During the election, there will be around 460 polling booths in the city.