Chandigarh, January 28
Chandigarh MP Manish Tewari has called for a serious re-examination of the city’s civic governance model, questioning whether the practice of electing a Mayor and deputies for just a one-year term has truly served the people of Chandigarh. In a statement issued today, Tewari noted: “Tomorrow, Chandigarh will once again elect its Mayor, Senior Deputy Mayor and Deputy Mayor. This will mark nearly the 30th set of office-bearers since 1996—amounting to 90 individuals who have held these positions. While each has been well-intentioned, the reality is stark: they remain structurally powerless and to put it kindly, ineffectual. The time has come to ask ourselves whether this revolving-door system of annual leadership has strengthened or weakened the governance of our city.”
Tewari emphasized that the current system has demonstrably failed, pointing to the persistent crises afflicting the Municipal Corporation of Chandigarh—most notably its chronic resource crunch. He declared: “The truth is self-evident: this mechanism has not worked. The Corporation continues to grapple with systemic challenges that annual, short-term leadership cannot resolve. The only real solution is to empower Chandigarh with a Mayor and Deputies directly elected by its citizens for a full five-year term—armed with the authority and time necessary to fulfill their mandate. That is precisely why, on December 5, 2025, I introduced a Private Member’s Bill in the Lok Sabha to institutionalize a five-year tenure for the Mayor and his deputies, along with the consequential powers required to discharge their responsibilities effectively.”
Tewari called upon all political parties to transcend partisan divides and rally behind this reform. “During the ongoing Budget session of Parliament, I will actively pursue every available avenue to advance this initiative. Let it be said plainly: if the current framework persists, these elections—and the dignitaries who occupy these offices—will remain ceremonial at best, ornamental at worst, with little real impact on Chandigarh’s governance”, he concluded.
