In an interesting turn of political events, the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) has announced its decision to contest the upcoming Lok Sabha elections from Chandigarh, marking the party’s first-ever bid for this seat. This declaration sets the scene for a triangular contest in Chandigarh’s political arena, with SAD’s entry adding to the existing competition between the BJP and the Congress.

The race for the SAD ticket sees three prominent local figures vying for the chance to represent the party: Hardeep Singh, the Chandigarh unit president and a two-time Municipal Councillor; Harjinder Kaur, the former mayor; and Harjeet Bhullar, the organisation secretary and spokesperson for SAD, who switched over from the BJP prior to the 2022 Punjab Assembly elections.

Hardeep Singh, one of the contenders, expressed confidence in the party’s preparation for the elections. He recalled the 2021 Municipal Corporation elections where SAD competed independently and said, “When we contested the municipal corporation elections on our own, the BJP could only secure 12 seats out of 35, highlighting our growing influence in the region.”

The upcoming elections will see SAD’s candidate going head-to-head with BJP’s Sanjay Tandon, the former Chandigarh president, and Congress’s Manish Tewari, the current MP from Anandpur Sahib.

The announcement of SAD’s candidate is expected to be made in the coming days, as the party finalizes its strategies and campaigns to maximize its impact. This move by SAD could significantly alter the electoral dynamics in Chandigarh, offering the voters a distinct choice from the traditional contenders of the BJP and Congress.

As Chandigarh, also known as the City Beautiful, gears up for these pivotal elections, the entry of SAD promises to make the race more competitive and intriguing. The residents are keenly watching the developments unfold, as they anticipate the electoral battle that will decide the city’s representation in the Lok Sabha. This election is not just a political contest but a reflection of the evolving political landscape in Chandigarh.