Friday’s draw of lots created a stir in the city’s political circles, with some leaders elated at the prospect of contesting from the same ward again, while others were left disappointed after the reservation category of the wards they had previously won from was changed.
With the ward now reserved for the SC category, he will have to look for another ward to contest from. Two-time Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) councillor Maheshinder Singh Sidhu, who represents Ward 2 (Sectors 1 to 10), and had earlier represented the same area as Ward 1 before delimitation, will no longer be able to contest from his current ward, which has now been reserved for women (general). Councillor Dalip Sharma of Ward 3, who won on a BJP ticket in 2021, was hoping to make it three consecutive victories. Ward 4 councillor and deputy mayor Suman Sharma faces a similar situation as her ward has now been reserved for SC, whereas it was earlier reserved for women (general). BJP councillor Bimla Dubey of Ward 9 will also not be able to contest from her current ward, which has now been reserved for SC. Former mayor Anoop Gupta’s Ward 11 has been reserved for women. Councillor Ram Chander Yadav of Ward 15, who quit the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and joined the Congress only last week, has also been dealt a blow, with his ward now reserved for SC. Councillor Munnawar, who recently joined the Congress after winning the Ward 29 election on an AAP ticket in 2021, too faces the challenge of finding a new political base, as his ward has now been reserved for SC women. The reservation exercise has also created a fresh challenge for BJP councillor and senior deputy mayor Jasmanpreet Singh of Ward 32, who will now have to look for another ward to contest from. Councillor Harjeet Singh’s Ward 8 has been reserved for women (general), while Sachin Galav’s Ward 13 has also been changed to the women (general). Similarly, councillors Damanpreet Singh Badal of Ward 17, Jasbir Singh Ladi of Ward 21 and Yogesh Dhingra of Ward 25, along with former mayor Kuldeep Tita, will have to explore other wards after their respective wards were reserved for the women (general) category.
Interestingly, wards of mayor Saurabh Joshi and leader of Opposition, Congress councillor Gurpreet Singh Gabi, remain unchanged.
