Who Runs Chandigarh? The 2026 Mayor Election, the Administrator and the Article 240 Row, Explained
Chandigarh is a Union Territory, the shared capital of Punjab and Haryana, and a city with its own elected mayor. Here is how the city is governed, what happened in the 2026 mayor election, why the Article 240 proposal caused an uproar, and what comes next.
Chandigarh is unusual in Indian politics. It is a Union Territory, the shared capital of Punjab and Haryana, and a city with its own elected mayor. That layered arrangement makes even routine decisions politically sensitive, as the 2026 mayor election and the Article 240 row showed. Here is a guide.
The 60-second version
- Mayor: Saurabh Joshi (BJP), elected 29 January 2026.
- The sweep: The BJP also won Senior Deputy Mayor and Deputy Mayor.
- Administrator: The Punjab Governor, currently Gulab Chand Kataria, since July 2024.
- The Article 240 row: A reported plan to change Chandigarh's constitutional status drew fierce protests from Punjab; the Centre said it had no intention of bringing an amendment.
- Next civic election: Due around December 2026.
How Chandigarh is governed
Chandigarh has three layers of authority:
- The Centre, which runs the Union Territory through the Ministry of Home Affairs.
- The Administrator, a post held by the Governor of Punjab since 1984, under Article 239 of the Constitution.
- The Municipal Corporation, an elected body led by the Mayor, which handles civic services.
There is no elected legislature for Chandigarh. Its single Lok Sabha seat gives residents their only direct voice in national politics.
The 2026 mayor election
The mayor is elected indirectly, by councillors, every year. The 29 January 2026 vote was a triangular contest among the BJP, AAP and Congress, and the BJP's Saurabh Joshi won, with the party also capturing the two deputy posts.
The election carried extra scrutiny because of what happened in 2024, when the presiding officer was caught on camera tampering with ballots. The Supreme Court overturned that result and declared AAP's Kuldeep Kumar mayor, a rare judicial intervention in a civic poll.
The Article 240 controversy
In late 2025, reports said the Centre was considering a constitutional amendment to bring Chandigarh under Article 240, which lets the President make regulations for certain Union Territories that carry the force of an act of Parliament. Critics said this could lead to a separate, full-time administrator for Chandigarh and weaken Punjab's long-standing claim to the city.
The reaction in Punjab was swift and cross-party. The Home Ministry then clarified that the Centre had no intention of introducing such an amendment bill. The episode showed how sensitive any change to Chandigarh's status remains for both Punjab and Haryana.
What to watch next
- The December 2026 civic election, a test for the BJP, AAP and Congress before the 2027 Punjab assembly election.
- Any revival of the Article 240 idea.
- The Punjab-Haryana claim over Chandigarh, unresolved since 1966.
This article is based on official information and public reporting.
Frequently asked questions
›Who is the Mayor of Chandigarh?
Saurabh Joshi of the BJP was elected Mayor of Chandigarh on 29 January 2026. The BJP also won the Senior Deputy Mayor and Deputy Mayor posts in the same election.
›Who governs Chandigarh?
Chandigarh is a Union Territory governed by the Centre through an Administrator. Since 1984, the Governor of Punjab has served as the Administrator. Gulab Chand Kataria has held the post since July 2024. Civic affairs are handled by the elected Municipal Corporation, headed by the Mayor.
›What is the Article 240 controversy?
In late 2025, reports said the Centre was considering a constitutional amendment to bring Chandigarh under Article 240, which allows the President to make regulations for certain Union Territories. Punjab's parties objected strongly, seeing it as weakening Punjab's claim to the city. The Home Ministry then clarified it had no intention of introducing such an amendment bill.
›When is the next Chandigarh Municipal Corporation election?
The Chandigarh Municipal Corporation's term runs to the end of 2026, and the next general election is due around December 2026.