Chandigarh mayoral poll: it’s AAP’s Prem Lata vs BJP’s Harpreet Babla

AAP’s Kuldeep Kumar is the incumbent Mayor of Chandigarh.

The tenure of the Chandigarh mayor, elder lawman politician and lawman politician lasts for 1 year.

The BJP has 15 councillors, the AAP 13 and the Congress seven. Besides these councillors, Congress’s Chandigarh MP Manish Tewari has the voting close arsenic an ex-officio subordinate of the House. The BJP is hoping for cross-voting to guarantee the triumph of its candidate, portion AAP is trying to support its flocks together.

On Friday, the Supreme Court sought the Chandigarh administration’s effect connected appointing an autarkic perceiver to oversee the January 30 mayoral elections connected a plea filed by Chandigarh Mayor Kuldeep Kumar who sought a “show of hands” alternatively of a “secret ballot” to guarantee fairness successful the polling process.

Congress’s elder lawman politician and lawman politician candidates Jasbir Singh Bunty and Taruna Mehta record their papers successful Chandigarh connected Saturday. (Express Photo by Kamleshwar Singh)

The tribunal posted the substance for January 27 but said the predetermination process would continue.

However, the SC indicated it mightiness see appointing a retired justice to oversee the election, considering the Chandigarh mayoral predetermination held successful January 2024 was marred by allegations of ballot insubstantial tampering starring to the apex court’s involution and consequent cancellation of the predetermination of the BJP candidate.

Who is Prem Lata?

Prem Lata, 46, the AAP candidate, a nonmigratory of Sector 35 successful Chandigarh, is an English teacher astatine a authorities schoolhouse here. Her hubby is simply a retired Air Force serviceman and the mates has 2 children.

Prem Lata was the Congress’s artifact president erstwhile she joined the AAP earlier the Municipal Corporation elections 2021. She was inducted into the AAP by erstwhile person Pradeep Chhabra, who passed distant past year.

She was successful the archetypal twelvemonth of graduation erstwhile she got married. She has besides done a quality parlour people for a year.

For Prem Lata, guiding the civic assemblage retired of the fiscal situation volition beryllium her apical priority. “I volition get the civic assemblage retired of the fiscal situation irrespective of the fig of visits I person to marque to the Governor,” she told The Indian Express. “After becoming Mayor, I volition dedicate 24/7 to the city.”

Talking astir corruption, she said, “Na ek paisa khaya…na kisi ko khane dungi…”

Who is Harpreet Kaur Babla?

A two-time councillor who won some presumption with grounds margins, Harpreet Kaur Babla, 60, is the woman of erstwhile councillor Devinder Singh Babla and girl of a retired Army Colonel. She is simply a nonmigratory of Sector 27, Chandigarh.

Babla is an alumna of Convent of Jesus and Mary, Dehradun. She did her graduation successful past and MA successful English.

Initially, the mates was with the Congress and joined the BJP aft the 2021 MC elections.

Devinder is the vice president of the BJP’s Chandigarh unit. He was a erstwhile two-time councillor and a erstwhile person of the Opposition of the Municipal Corporation. He was besides a erstwhile president of the Market Committee, Chandigarh.

The mates has 2 sons. Yudhveer Singh Babla is successful the existent property concern successful Tricity and Paramveer Singh Babla is the youngest enforcement subordinate of the Chandigarh Club.

About her priorities, Babla said, “I volition get the Municipal Corporation backmost connected way financially. Once its fiscal situation is solved, everything volition autumn into place.” “Everyone has seen what a failed word the AAP Mayor had. In the past 2 months of his tenure, helium realised the civic assemblage was facing a fiscal crisis,” she attacked the AAP mayor.