1 week ago
BJP Surveys Chandigarh Aspirants Ahead of Civic Polls
The Bharatiya Janata Party is checking which candidates are most likely to win Chandigarh’s upcoming civic elections.
It is asking for feedback from people on the ground.
Some current councillors may not receive tickets if the survey suggests they could lose.
BJP leaders are especially watching the Aam Aadmi Party in crowded colonies.
They believe the Aam Aadmi Party may be a stronger challenger than Congress.
The BJP won more seats in the current House after some councillors changed parties.
However, having more councillors now does not guarantee victory in the next election.
Party groups are competing to promote their preferred candidates.
The election may also give clues about voter feelings before Punjab’s next Assembly election.
The BJP is conducting an internal survey to assess potential candidates’ winnability before Chandigarh’s civic polls.
The party may deny tickets to sitting councillors whose electoral prospects are considered weak.
BJP leaders view the Aam Aadmi Party as a bigger threat than Congress in several city colonies.
Potential ticket contenders include sitting councillors, former mayors, newcomers and leaders’ family members.
The polls are due by the end of this year and may indicate urban sentiment before next year’s Punjab Assembly elections.
- Who
- The Bharatiya Janata Party, its Chandigarh unit, potential candidates, the Aam Aadmi Party and Congress.
- What
- The BJP is conducting an internal winnability survey to decide candidates for the upcoming Chandigarh civic polls.
- Where
- Chandigarh, including colonies and densely populated areas such as Khuda Ali Sher.
- When
- The civic polls are expected by the end of this year; Punjab Assembly elections are scheduled for next year.
- Why
- The BJP wants to select candidates who can win, avoid repeating its underestimation of the Aam Aadmi Party in 2021, and manage internal factionalism.
BJP high command and electoral pragmatists
Local factions and established aspirants
Basis for ticket selection
BJP high command and electoral pragmatists
The Delhi leadership is reportedly prioritising winnability and direct ground feedback over factional loyalties.
Local factions and established aspirants
Local groups are promoting candidates based on their organisational relationships and camp affiliations.
Treatment of incumbents
BJP high command and electoral pragmatists
Sitting councillors may be dropped if the survey finds their electoral prospects weak.
Local factions and established aspirants
Incumbent councillors and other established aspirants are seeking to retain or regain their political positions.
Assessment of the Aam Aadmi Party
BJP high command and electoral pragmatists
The BJP’s internal assessment treats the Aam Aadmi Party as a stronger threat than Congress because of its presence in several colonies.
Local factions and established aspirants
The Aam Aadmi Party’s reduced strength in the current Municipal Corporation House could suggest a weaker position, although BJP leaders say they will not underestimate it again.
Key facts
- Election timing
- Chandigarh civic polls are expected by the end of this year.
- 2021 result
- The Aam Aadmi Party won 14 of the Chandigarh Municipal Corporation’s 35 seats, while the BJP won 12.
- Current House arithmetic
- Following defections, the BJP reportedly has 18 councillors, the Aam Aadmi Party 10, with Congress holding the remaining seats.
- Main perceived threat
- BJP leaders currently regard the Aam Aadmi Party as a bigger electoral threat than Congress.
- Survey focus
- The internal exercise is assessing candidates’ ground-level support and winnability.
- Potential contenders
- Names under discussion include Dalip Kumar, Harjit Singh, Bimla Dubey, Gurcharan Singh, Poonam and Gurbax Rawat.
- Former mayors seeking tickets
- Former mayors Davesh Moudgil and Rajesh Kalia are reportedly seeking to contest again.
Quotes
Senior BJP leader
BJP leader familiar with the internal survey
“Last time, the AAP was underestimated by the local wing, though the Delhi leaders had warned. However, the AAP didn’t even have an organisational structure then; now it is seen as a bigger threat than Congress. The result was a wake-up call. Nobody in the organisation wants to make that mistake again.”
indianexpress.com
“The leadership in Delhi is conducting a survey. None of us has been told the details, and we do not know who is conducting it, but the exercise is definitely on. The feedback from the ground will matter.”
indianexpress.com
Sources
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