Chandigarh, Dec. 24 -- Ahead of the Chandigarh Mayor election, two Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) councillors on Wednesday, Suman Devi and Poonam Devi, have joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

They joined the BJP in the presence of Chandigarh BJP president Jatinder Pal Malhotra, Mayor Harpreet Kaur Babla and senior leader Sanjay Tandon.

With the Mayor's election set to be held through open voting, the defection has altered the numbers in the House. The BJP now has 18 councillors and needs just one more vote to secure the Mayor's post, making its victory almost certain.

The mayoral term for 2026 will be the fifth and final term of the current five-year municipal corporation, which has been in effect from 2022 to 2026. For the 2026 term, the...