Chandigarh, June 25 -- The 2026 Chandigarh mayoral elections will be conducted through a show of hands instead of secret ballots - a fallout of the 2024 controversy in which then-presiding officer Anil Masih was caught on camera tampering with votes.

Following persistent demands from the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and Congress for greater transparency in the electoral process, UT administrator Gulab Chand Kataria on Tuesday approved an amendment to Regulation 6 of the Chandigarh Municipal Corporation (Procedure and Conduct of Business) Regulations, 1996. With this amendment, the mayor, senior deputy mayor, and deputy Mayor will now be elected through a show of hands instead of the earlier secret-ballot method.

Kataria said the new system wil...