Chandigarh, Jan. 21 -- As the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) sits comfortably with 18 councillors on its side, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and the Congress have reached a "one-time agreement" to fight together and defeat the saffron party in the Chandigarh mayoral elections slated for January 29.

With this, the India Bloc too will have 18 votes - 11 of the AAP councillors, six of the Congress and one of Chandigarh MP Manish Tewari who holds an ex officio vote in the House. This sets the stage for a draw in the House, in the event of which, the law mandates that the mayor be decided by a draw of lots, turning the high-stakes contest into a matter of chance.

As per the informal arrangement between the two alliance partners, the AAP will fight...