Face2News/Chandigarh
The Deputy Commissioner, U.T. Chandigarh, who is also the Prescribed Authority for the forthcoming Mayoral Election scheduled to be held on 29 January 2026, visited the Municipal Corporation, Chandigarh, to review the complete election-related arrangements and procedural preparedness on Friday.
(MOREPIC1) During the visit, the Deputy Commissioner held a comprehensive review meeting regarding the conduct of elections to the posts of Mayor, Senior Deputy Mayor and Deputy Mayor. Senior officers of the Municipal Corporation, Chandigarh, were present and briefed the Prescribed Authority on the administrative, procedural, logistical and security arrangements being put in place to ensure the smooth, lawful and orderly conduct of the election.
It was informed that, in accordance with the provisions of the Punjab Municipal Corporation Act, 1976 as applicable to U.T. Chandigarh and the Chandigarh Municipal Corporation (Procedure and Conduct of Business) Regulations, 1996, the election shall be conducted by “Show of Hands”. A detailed Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) has been finalized to ensure transparency, accountability and clarity at every stage of the voting process. The SOP outlines the pre-voting protocol, order of voting, hand-raise procedure, counting, verification, recording of votes and declaration of results.
As per the SOP, councillors shall raise their hands clearly when their choice is called, votes shall be counted through visual verification and verbal confirmation, and proper documentation including maintenance of a Register of Votes and recording in the Minutes of the Meeting shall be ensured to avoid any ambiguity or dispute.
The Deputy Commissioner further directed that the entire election proceedings shall be videographed continuously, without any editing, and the video record shall be safely preserved for a minimum period of 90 days or as directed by the competent authority. Media coverage and live feed of the election process, as permissible, shall also be allowed in the interest of transparency.
In accordance with Section 60(a) of the Punjab Municipal Corporation Act, 1976, Dr. Ramneek Singh Bedi, Councillor, who is not a candidate for the mayoral election, has been designated as the Presiding Authority for the meeting to be held on 29.01.2026. The Presiding Authority shall conduct the meeting and ensure that the election proceedings are carried out strictly in accordance with the law, prescribed procedures and the approved SOP.
Regarding attendance and security arrangements, it was clarified that councillors attending the election meeting shall not be accompanied by supporters or security personnel from other States, and only authorized persons shall be permitted within the Municipal Corporation premises during the election process. The Chandigarh Police have been directed to provide adequate security to all councillors and officials and to ensure maintenance of peace, discipline and orderly conduct before, during and after the election proceedings.
The nomination process was also reviewed, and it was reiterated that the procedure and timeline for filing nomination papers for the posts of Mayor, Senior Deputy Mayor and Deputy Mayor shall be strictly followed in accordance with the Municipal Corporation (Election) Regulations, 1996, with specific dates to be notified by the competent authority.
Addressing the officers, the Deputy Commissioner categorically stated that all due procedures must be followed in letter and spirit to ensure a free, fair, transparent and impartial election. He directed all concerned departments to maintain close coordination and remain fully prepared to discharge their responsibilities effectively.
Reiterating the commitment of the Chandigarh Administration to uphold democratic values, the Deputy Commissioner assured that all necessary steps are being taken to ensure that the Mayoral Election is conducted in a peaceful, transparent, lawful and dignified manner.