India, Jan. 30 -- BJP's Harpreet Kaur Babla, 60, is the new mayor of Chandigarh.

She defeated Aam Aadmi Party-Congress candidate Prem Lata, 46, by a thin margin of two votes in the 36-member municipal corporation of Chandigarh in a closely watched contest.

While Babla, the councillor from ward number 10, got 19 votes, Prem Lata polled, who represents ward number 23, polled 17 votes.

While the House has 35 members, Chandigarh MP Manish Tewari of the Congress holds the ex-officio vote.

The poll process was monitored by a Supreme Court-appointed observer, Jaishree Thakur, who is a former judge of the Punjab and Haryana high court.

Cross-voting has taken place as the INDIA bloc had 20 votes in the 35-member municipal corporation House -1...