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Cross voting, BJP's Babla Chandigarh mayor

The New Indian Express Kochi

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January 31, 2025

ALLEGED cross-voting allowed BJP's Harpreet Kaur Babla to win the mayoral election of the Chandigarh Municipal Corporation on Thursday.

- HARPREET BAJWA @Chandigarh

Efforts of the Aam Aadmi Party and the Congress to win the seat came to nought, though they were in alliance and with majority votes. Three councillors allegedly voted against party lines, swinging the outcome in favour of the saffron party. Babla got 19 votes, and her rival Prem Lata of AAP got 17—no vote was found invalid.

In the 35-member house of the corporation, the AAP has 13 councillors and its ally Congress has six. The BJP's strength is 16.

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