BJP-SAD alliance sweeps Chandigarh civic poll, wins 20 wards

Overall polling percentage in Municipal Corporation election was 59.54 per cent

The Bharatiya Janata Party-Shiromani Akali Dal alliance on Tuesday attained clear majority in the Chandigarh Municipal Corporation polls winning 20 out of the 26 wards.

BJP won in 20 wards, rival Congress 4 and Independent one, an election office spokesman said.

Prominent among those who won were BJP Mayor Arun Sood, and Congress stalwart Devinder Singh Babla.

The overall polling percentage in the Chandigarh Municipal Corporation election was 59.54 per cent.

Election to 26 wards of the Municipal Corporation were seen as a litmus test for BJP and Congress post demonetisation.

Total 122 candidates, including 67 Independents, contested the polls. The total number of voters were 5,07,627, including 2,37,374 women voters.

Both Congress and BJP contested all 26 wards, while BSP had also put up candidates in the fray from 17 wards.

The Municipal Corporation has 36 members, of which 26 are elected councillors, nine are nominated councillors and one is an MP (ex-officio member of the House).

In the last House, BJP has 15 councillors, Congress has nine, BSP has one and one is Independent.

Congress had made demonetisation a major issue in the polls, with its city unit leaders saying the move was implemented without any "application of mind" and had put the public to "great hardships".