The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) left a large number of its sitting councillors disappointed when it released its first list of 23 candidates with a bevy of new names on Wednesday.
Only four sitting councillors, including the mayor, were retained in the list. Spouses of three more councillors have also been given the ticket for the civic elections, slated for December 24.
The party has clearly favoured the youth with no senior citizens in the list. While nine candidates are in their forties, eight are in their fifties and six in their thirties.
Out of the eight women candidates, five are wives of councillors or BJP office-bearers, one is a daughter-in-law while two are professionals who have worked for the party.
Sitting councillors, who have got the ticket include Ravi Kant Sharma, the mayor, Dalip Sharma, Bharat Kumar and Kanwarjeet Singh Rana.
The councillors, whose wives have been given the tickets, include Jagtar Singh Dhillon (Saravjit Kaur Dhillon from ward number-6) and Anil Dubey (Vimla Dubey from ward number-9). The party has also fielded Gopal Shukla aka Pappu, the husband of sitting councillor Chandravati, from ward number-15.
Sources said most of the candidates are from the Tandon-Sood camp. “There are chances of resentment among some leaders. However, by giving tickets to the wives of certain councillors, the party has tried to do the balancing act.”
Earlier in the day, a meeting of senior party leaders, including state unit chief Arun Sood, former unit president, Sanjay Tandon, and Chandigarh MC election incharge and National General Secretary, Vinod Tawde, was held at party headquarters, Kamlam in Sector 33.
BJP State unit president Arun Sood said, “We have given a chance to new faces and the younger generation. Office-bearers at the mandal level shortlisted the candidates. Thereafter, they were scrutinised by the district presidents, general secretaries, former district presidents and top management. The party conducted several rounds of candidate surveys that included local and national leadership. After all the recommendations, the names of the candidates were announced after the approval of the high command.”
