The UT Administration’s decision to conduct Chandigarh mayoral polls through a “show of hands” has brought the BJP and the AAP‑Congress alliance head‑to‑head, with both camps holding 18 votes each. The election for Mayor, Senior Deputy Mayor, and Deputy Mayor will be held on January 29. For the first time since the inaugural Municipal Corporation elections in 1996, the mayoral contest will be decided by a show of hands rather than a secret ballot. Secret ballot voting in the past often led to cross‑voting, but under the new system, any councillor defying party lines risks strict disciplinary action. Interestingly, all major political parties in Chandigarh have welcomed the change. Senior BJP leader Sanjay Tandon remarked that it would be a fully transparent system to elect the mayor, leaving no room for doubt about how councillors cast their votes. AAP’s Chandigarh unit president Vijay Pal Singh said the move was the result of consistent efforts and repeated memorandums to the UT Administrator‑cum‑Punjab Governor, adding that the administration should now take all parties into confidence regarding its …