Elected on one symbol, serving under another: Meet Chandigarh’s party hoppers

They were elected on one party’s symbol, but several of Chandigarh’s municipal councillors are now serving under the banner of another — with the BJP emerging as the biggest beneficiary of the political churn. With the civic election process expected to begin next month, the political churn in the outgoing House offers a striking snapshot of how dramatically the mandate of the December 2021 election has been changed during this single term without voters getting another chance to decide.

As many as 13 of the 35 councillors elected in 2021 — more than one in every three — have changed their political allegiance during the current term. The movement has not been limited to one-time defections. At least three councillors — Gurcharanjit Singh, Neha Musawat and Poonam — changed sides multiple times, in some cases just before the annual mayoral elections when even a handful of votes can determine control of the House.

The BJP has emerged as the biggest beneficiary. Of the 13 councillors who switched sides, six eventually moved to the BJP, taking the party’s strength from its original 12 to 18. Sample this: Poonam’s political journey is perhaps the most striking.

Elected on an AAP ticket, she moved to the BJP shortly before the mayoral polls, returned to the AAP about a month later and subsequently shifted back to the BJP. Gurcharanjit Singh, elected on a Congress ticket, moved to the BJP in 2022.

Ahead of the 2024 mayoral election, he shifted to the AAP and, within days, returned to the BJP. Neha too changed allegiance twice, moving from the AAP to the BJP and then back to the AAP. The 2021 election saw the AAP emerging as the largest party with 14 councillors, but closely followed by the BJP with 12 councillors, and Congress with 8 with the SAD also finding representation.

Since then, however, crossovers have altered that balance substantially. The BJP’s rise from 12 to 18 has had a direct bearing on control of the civic body. The party retained the mayor’s post in 2022, 2023, 2025 and 2026.

The exception was 2024, when the AAP-Congress alliance won the mayoral election after the Supreme Court intervened in the controversial poll. The pattern of switching is also one-sided. All 13 councillors who changed allegiance were originally elected from the Congress or AAP.

The political composition of the House has therefore been repeatedly redrawn even though Chandigarh voters went to the polls only once during the term. Opposition parties have, at different points, alleged horse-trading and inducements in connection with such political switches.

Councillors who changed sides, however, have justified their decisions by citing political or ideological differences, dissatisfaction with their previous parties, pressure or the interests of their constituencies. For the BJP, the gains have been particularly significant.

Six opposition councillors eventually joined the party, strengthening its position in a House where the annual mayoral election makes every seat politically consequential. The churn has also revived the debate over whether municipal councillors should be brought under an anti-defection mechanism here.

The issue assumes greater significance in Chandigarh because the mayor is elected every year. A few crossovers alter the numbers and, consequently, determine who controls the civic body. In 2019, the Centre had sought views on extending anti-defection provisions to local bodies, with the BJP supporting the move.

However, no such mechanism has been introduced for Chandigarh’s Municipal Corporation. “The political question is consequently larger than the individual choices of councillors: when a candidate wins on a party symbol, does the mandate belong solely to the individual — or also to the party and the voters who backed that symbol,” a councillor requesting anonymity said.

The issue is particularly relevant as the debate over the mayor’s tenure continues. Congress MP Manish Tewari has sought a longer and more stable mayoral arrangement, while the UT Administration has proposed increasing the mayor’s term from one year to 2.5 years.

“A longer tenure could reduce the annual battle for numbers and bring greater administrative continuity. But unless political crossovers are addressed, the underlying arithmetic of the House could continue to change midway through the term,” the councillor added.

Gurcharanjit Singh, who made three switches in the current term, told The Indian Express that his political moves were driven by people in his constituency.