AAP, Congress seal alliance for Chandigarh mayoral polls
Chandigarh, Jan 15: The AAP and the Congress forged an alliance on Monday for the upcoming Chandigarh mayoral polls.
Under the arrangement, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) will fight for the mayor's seat while the Congress will contest the posts of senior deputy mayor and deputy mayor, senior Congress leader Pawan Kumar Bansal said here.
The development came amid the two constituents of the INDIA bloc holding talks over seat sharing for this year's Lok Sabha polls. But the state units of both parties in Punjab appear reluctant so far to make any concession to the other side.
The Congress and the AAP have been separately claiming that they will win all 13 Lok Sabha seats in Punjab.
After announcing the alliance of his party with the AAP for the January 18 polls, Bansal said, "This is the beginning of the end of the BJP's misrule in Chandigarh."
Chandigarh Congress president H S Lucky said AAP candidate Kuldeep Kumar Tita will contest the polls for the mayor's post while Congress nominees Gurpreet Singh Gabi and Nirmala Devi will fight for the posts of senior deputy mayor and deputy mayor respectively.
Congress candidate Jasbir Bunty has withdrawn his nomination for the mayor's post, while AAP nominees Neha Musavat and Poonam have withdrawn their candidatures for the posts of senior deputy mayor and deputy mayor respectively.
Speaking on the alliance with the Congress, the AAP's Chandigarh in-charge Jarnail Singh said, "Together, we will easily win this election and finally, Chandigarh will have a mayor from a party other than the BJP."
Singh said the mayoral polls will set an example that the AAP and the Congress together can defeat the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
"To end the dictatorship of the BJP, the AAP and the Congress have decided to fight this election together. The BJP has done nothing for the welfare of Chandigarh and its people but now, all of it will change. With the AAP mayor, Chandigarh will see new heights of development and public welfare projects," he said in a statement.
With the AAP and the Congress deciding on a tie-up for the Chandigarh mayoral polls, the contest is going to be two-way and observers believe that the two parties will have an edge over the BJP.
In the 35-member Chandigarh Municipal Corporation, the BJP has 14 councillors. It also has an ex-officio member MP who has voting rights.
The AAP has 13 councillors and the Congress seven. The Shiromani Akali Dal has one councillor in the House.
The polls for the posts of mayor, senior deputy mayor and deputy mayor will be held on Thursday.
The mayor is elected by the councillors through secret ballots. Hence, the possibility of cross-voting cannot be ruled out.
The Congress abstained from voting in 2022 and 2023, leading to the BJP's victory in the mayoral polls.
Elections for the three posts are held every year during the five-year term of the House. This year, the mayor's seat has been reserved for the Scheduled Caste (SC) category.
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Rajasthan CM Sharma invites Karnataka to partner in agritech transformation
Bengaluru (PTI): Asserting that Rajasthan is evolving and embracing progressive change, Chief Minister Bhajanlal Sharma on Sunday invited Karnataka and industry stakeholders present in Bengaluru to partner with the state in shaping a “new agricultural revolution.”
The CM was speaking at an investor meet organised in Bengaluru under the ‘Global Rajasthan Agritech Meet (GRAM)–2026’, aimed at positioning Rajasthan as a leading hub for agricultural innovation, agritech investment, and global partnerships.
“Rajasthan is moving toward building a strong agritech-driven economy by integrating its traditional agricultural strengths with modern technology. The state government is creating an investor-friendly environment,” Sharma said.
“Out of the Rs 35 lakh crore MoUs signed during the 2024 Rising Rajasthan Global Investment Summit, Rs 9 lakh crore worth of investments have already been grounded, and we welcome all stakeholders to be part of this transformative journey,” he added.
Emphasising the synergy between the two states, he said, “Rajasthan is growing, evolving and embracing progressive change, and together with Karnataka, we can further strengthen our farmers by equipping them with the latest technologies and building a future of shared prosperity.”
Highlighting the shared vision between the two states, he added, “Bengaluru and Rajasthan share a long-standing, cordial relationship built on innovation and progress.”
“As Rajasthan advances steadily toward becoming a Viksit Rajasthan, we invite Bengaluru and Karnataka to partner with us in shaping a new agricultural revolution,” he said.
The event was hosted by the Agriculture Department, Government of Rajasthan, in collaboration with the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) and the Rajasthan Foundation.
The investor meet witnessed participation from key stakeholders across agriculture, agritech, industry, and investment sectors.
The CM said that through GRAM 2026, the government is committed to ushering in a new era of agricultural transformation by modernising farming practices, enhancing farmers’ incomes, and connecting them with cutting-edge technologies such as AI and agritech innovations, while expanding access to food processing and global markets.
“This landmark initiative will bring together thousands of farmers, experts and investors on a single, dynamic platform,” he said.
He further noted that the government is integrating key departments—including agriculture, electricity, cooperatives, animal husbandry and fisheries—to create a unified ecosystem for holistic farmer development.
“Our goal is to harness technology to drive sustainable growth and empower our farmers with the tools and opportunities they need to thrive,” he added.
Highlighting progress in the agriculture sector, Rajasthan Agriculture and Horticulture Minister Kirodi Lal Meena said the state government is strengthening the agritech ecosystem through policy support, infrastructure development and innovation, creating a conducive environment for investors and entrepreneurs.
During the event, a film on GRAM 2026 was showcased, highlighting opportunities in Rajasthan’s agriculture and agritech sectors, an official release said.
Extensive deliberations on agriculture, agritech, investment and partnership opportunities were held during the meet, with participants exploring collaborative pathways to strengthen the sector.
The main event, GRAM 2026, is scheduled to be held from May 23 to 25, 2026, in Jaipur, with expected participation from investors, industry leaders and policymakers from across India and abroad.
As part of the preparatory outreach, roadshows have already been conducted in Jaipur and New Delhi, with more planned across major cities to further expand the reach of the initiative, the release added.
