Chandigarh [India], January 29 (ANI): BJP's Saurabh Joshi was elected the new Mayor of the Chandigarh Municipal Corporation on Thursday.

Joshi emerged victorious in a three-cornered contest, securing 18 votes. Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) candidate Yogesh Dhingra received 11 votes, while Congress nominee Gurpreet Singh Gabi secured seven votes. The mayoral election was conducted through a show of hands, departing from the earlier practice of a secret ballot.

After winning the Chandigarh Mayor election, Saurabh Joshi expressed gratitude to the party's senior leadership and party workers, recalling his long association with the organisation.

'Given the manner in which the senior leadership placed their trust in me and gave me the opportunity, I would like to tell the booth-level BJP workers that I sat at the booth for the first time in 1989, and today the senior leadership has made me reach this post,' Joshi told ANI.

In addition to the mayoral post, the BJP also clinched the positions of Senior Deputy Mayor and Deputy Mayor. BJP's Jasmanpreet Singh was elected Senior Deputy Mayor, while party councillor Suman Sharma was chosen as the new Deputy Mayor. With these results, the BJP consolidated its control over the top leadership of the Chandigarh Municipal Corporation.

Meanwhile, BJP's National General Secretary Vinod Tawde was given the responsibility of an Election Observer for the Chandigarh Mayor Election.

The 2026 mayoral term will be the fifth and final term of the current five-year municipal corporation, which has been in effect from 2022 to 2026. For the 2026 term, the mayor's post is reserved for the general category. The current mayor's term ends on January 29, 2026. (ANI)