With Chandigarh set to elect its next member of Parliament (MP) in the last phase of the Lok Sabha elections on June 1, the constituency is set to witness a direct fight between the Bharatiya Janata Party and the Congress-Aam Aadmi Party alliance, two key constituents of the INDIA bloc.

A total of 6,47,291 voters, with a majority from the 20 to 29 age group, will seal the fate of the candidates on the polling day. Counting of votes will take place on June 4 .

Official data shows that there are 2.87 lakh voters (45%) between the age of 20-39 in Chandigarh, down from 3.17 lakh in the previous elections in 2019, when the total voters were 6.19 lakh.

On the other hand, there is a 19% rise in the number of voters above 60, with 1 lakh voters from this age group this time against 84,000 in 2019. The estimated population of Chandigarh is nearly 13.64 lakh.

Following announcement of election dates by the Election Commission of India on Saturday, the model code of conduct was also enforced in the city.

As part of the seat-sharing pact between AAP and Congress, the latter will contest the Lok Sabha seat from Chandigarh with the backing of the former.

Among the top contenders for the Congress ticket are four-time MP and former Union minister Pawan Bansal; Chandigarh Congress president Harmohinder Singh Lucky; and Anandpur Sahib MP Manish Tewari.

At the BJP’s end, which is chasing a third straight poll win in Chandigarh, the local unit has sent the names of former MP Satya Pal Jain, and ex-party presidents Sanjay Tandon and Arun Sood to the high command for a decision. Sitting MP Kirron Kher of the BJP had won the last two elections in 2014 and 2019.

Can INDIA bloc give a tough fight to BJP

AAP made its debut in Chandigarh in the 2014 Lok Sabha election, where its candidate Gul Panag was placed third. The AAP candidate ate into Congress candidate Pawan Bansal’s traditional vote bank in the rehabilitated colonies and slums, grabbing 1.08 lakh votes (23.97%) compared to Bansal’s 1.21 lakh (26.84%). BJP’s Kirron Kher, who won the elections, received 1.91 lakh votes (42.20%).

In the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, though, AAP’s vote share was relegated to just 3.82%, with its candidate Harmohan Dhawan polling 13,781 votes. BJP’s Kirron Kher retained the seat by a margin of roughly 46,000 votes against Congress’ Bansal.

Bansal had received 1.84 lakh votes (40.35%), behind Kher’s 2.31 lakh votes (50.64%). But AAP made a strong comeback in its maiden municipal corporation elections in 2021, clinching 14 of the total 35 seats, and also wrested the mayor’s chair from the BJP, which held it for eight straight years.

7.9 lakh voters in Mohali, 4.2 lakh in Panchkula

In the neighbouring Mohali district, which falls under both Anandpur Sahib and Patiala parliamentary constituencies, there are a total 7,90,499 voters, including 3,76,6187 females. The voters from Mohali and Kharar will vote for the next Anandpur Sahib MP, while those from Dera Bassi will choose the next MP from Patiala.

Manish Tewari of Congress had won the last Lok Sabha elections from Anandpur Sahib, while Preneet Kaur, wife of former Punjab chief minister Captain Amarinder Singh, was elected from Patiala.

Panchkula district, which falls under the Ambala constituency, reserved for Scheduled Caste candidates, will go to polls on May 25, with 4,22,642 total voters. Rattan Lal Kataria from the BJP held this Lok Sabha seat until his death in May 2023.

Verify name on electoral roll

Vijay N Zade, chief electoral officer, Chandigarh, encouraged residents to verify their names on the electoral roll by visiting “ceochandigarh.gov.in”, the Voter Helpline App or the voter helpline number 1950. Also, residents can fill out Form 6 to enrol in the electoral roll through the Voter Helpline App or voter portal, or simply hand over the form to their respective booth level officer, he said.

He said Form 6 should be submitted at least 10 day before the last date of nominations, which is May 14.