The gloves are off. The heated change of phrases between the Aam Aadmi Occasion (AAP) and Congress leaders, who had joined forces in 2024 to defeat the Bharatiya Janata Occasion (BJP) in the mayoral polls, look like on the verge of a split. Whereas local leaders of each and each events are overtly denying any possibility of combating the MC Frequent Home elections, slated for December, together, there could be a large request ticket on the upcoming mayoral elections, especially for the reason that Congress is announcing it’s open to an “alliance with any individual” to beat the saffron party.
On Tuesday, AAP’s Chandigarh in-fee Jarnail Singh had posted on social media position ‘X’: “On the one hand, bitter rivals; on the varied hand, companions in energy. The BJP having the mayor’s chair in Chandigarh and the Congress holding the posts of senior deputy mayor and deputy mayor is get proof of an alliance between the BJP and the Congress. The nation has now understood this sham fight of yours. This game will no longer last for some distance longer.”
The Congress had hit out, recalling that in 2024, the mayor belonged to AAP whereas BJP leaders held key deputy posts.
Political specialists yelp Jarnail’s X submit will also were a well-view out technique to prepare ground for the Punjab assembly elections slated early subsequent twelve months. The outcomes of Chandigarh MC polls can derive a enlighten relating to Punjab elections, and the two events can no longer be considered combating together in the instruct’s capital staunch months forward of.
Jarnail’s feedback had come staunch a day after Congress’ Chandigarh unit president HS Fortunate, in a gathering with the party leadership, MP Manish Tewari and councillors, had equipped that they are willing to hitch hands with any individual to defeat the BJP in the mayoral polls.
On Wednesday, Fortunate, whereas speaking to HT, said, “There is no formula we can contest the December 2026 MC Frequent Home elections together. We can sweep the MC elections on our agree with and attain no longer desire a party which has no stand. I deem Jarnail Singh turned into as soon as asleep when he without observe wakened and wrote on social media that the Congress and the BJP are together. If truth be told, it’s AAP councillors who derive constantly betrayed us to hitch the BJP.”
AAP president Vijay Buddy Singh refused to exclaim on the upcoming mayoral elections nonetheless said there could be no alliance for the period of the December elections.
How AAP’s energy eroded from 14 to 11 in 4 years
AAP entered the metropolis with a bang in the 2014 Lok Sabha polls with Gul Panag who got here third, eating correct into a majority of vote shares of each and each the Congress and the BJP. The party misplaced its momentum rapidly after nonetheless bounced merit in 2021 as it won 14 seats in the 35-member Home. This turned into as soon as the important thing time that the AAP had gained a majority in the metropolis. The BJP had won 12 seats whereas the Congress had 8 and the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) secured one ward, despite the truth that its councillor Hardeep Singh who later joined the AAP.
Despite no longer having a majority, it turned into as soon as the BJP that secured the mayor’s submit in 2022, 2023 and 2025. In January 2024, after a bungled mayoral ballot, the Supreme Court had declared the AAP candidate because the winner which turned into as soon as one of the best time AAP turned into as soon as ready to submit its agree with mayor.
Since 2021, AAP’s energy has dwindled from 14 to 11 now. In 2023, then AAP councillor Taruna Mehta joined the Congress. Honest no longer too long ago, two AAP councillors Poonam and Suman Sharma joined the BJP.
In 2025, BJP’s Harpreet Babla won the high-stakes mayoral contest towards AAP’s Prem Lata, securing 19 votes to her 17. A complete of 36 votes were solid, along with that of MP Manish Tewari, who is an ex-officio member of the Home. The BJP won the pollfight no topic the AAP-Congress alliance having 20 councillors in its camp, whereas BJP had 16.
