The results of Chandigarh Municipal Corporation elections will be announced on Tuesday at seven counting centres in the city. Elections to 26 civic wards of Chandigarh were held on Sunday with both BJP and Congress making demonetisation a major poll issue. 122 candidates, including 67 Independents, are in the fray for the civic polls. The polling was conducted at 460 booths from 8 am to 5 pm.

Punjab's ruling BJP and Akali Dal combine have scored a landslide win in municipal elections in capital Chandigarh reported NDTV. The victory is important as it comes just ahead of crucial state assembly polls. The allies have won 21 of the 26 seats, while the Congress managed just four; one seat was won by an independent candidate.

Amit Shah has said that every poll win after 8 November is an approval of the people for the demonetisation decision.

Thank people of Chandigarh for supporting BJP, every election win after Nov 8 shows that they approve of #DeMonetisation decision: Amit Shah pic.twitter.com/60Jrb7pxwd — ANI (@ANI_news) December 20, 2016

BJP MP from Chandigarh Kirron Kher has said that the victory is a result of implementing Prime Minister Narendra Modi's schemes at ground level and that the results prove it right.

We thank the people of Chandigarh for the mandate. We implemented Modi Ji's schemes at ground level and result shows it: Kirron Kher, BJP pic.twitter.com/3tLMuL5yBK — ANI (@ANI_news) December 20, 2016

The results of Chandigarh Municipal Corporation elections was announced on Tuesday at seven counting centres in the city. Elections to 26 civic wards of Chandigarh were held on Sunday with both BJP and Congress making demonetisation a major poll issue. 122 candidates, including 67 Independents, are in the fray for the civic polls. The polling was conducted at 460 booths from 8 am to 5 pm.

Both Congress and BJP contested from all 26 wards, while BSP has also put up candidates in the fray from 17 wards. The Municipal Corporation has 36 members, of which 26 are elected councillors, nine are nominated councillors and one is an MP (ex-officio member of the House). At present, BJP has 15 councillors, Congress has nine, BSP has one and one is independent candidate.

While the BJP is trying to cash in on demonetisation, Congress has made it a major issue with its city unit leaders saying the move was implemented without any "application of mind" as it has put the public to "great hardships".

Around 51 percent voters exercised their franchise for 26 wards of Chandigarh Municipal Corporation the polling to which passed off peacefully.

"Around 51 percent voters have exercised their franchise. The polling was peaceful," Tarseem Lal, an election office spokesman said here after conclusion of polls quoting initial estimates of polling percentage. The total number of voters recorded were 5,07,627, including 2,37,374 female voters. 800 EVMs were used at 445 polling booths and over 4000 cops were deployed for smooth conduct of polling process.

The overall polling percentage in the Chandigarh Municipal Corporation election jumped to a record 59.54 percent, following a re-polling in a ward of the civic body after officials noticed some discrepancies.

The re-polling in ward seven registered 71.48 polling, Tarseem Lal, an election office spokesman said here, adding that the overall poll percentage for the 26 wards was 59.54. It was ordered after electoral officials noticed that the number of votes polled yesterday had exceeded the number of voters in a booth of the ward. Since it's inception, the polling in the civic body election had remained below 50 per cent. In 2011, the polling percentage to the MC was 59.37.

Post demonetisation, the election to 26 wards of Chandigarh Municipal Corporation is a litmus test for both BJP and Congress. Prominent among those included three-time councillor and former Mayor Subash Chawala (Cong), BJP's leader Saurabh Joshi and Congress stalwart Devinder Singh Babla and present mayor Arun Sood of BJP.

The results will be test of prestige of key political faces MP Kirron Kher (BJP), former Chandigarh MPs Pawan Kumar Bansal (Cong), Harmohan Dhawan (BJP), Satya Pal Jain (BJP) and Chandigarh BJP president Sanjay Tandon. All these political bigwigs have a key identity in Chandigarh, the results will somehow set their political future too, besides their current role in local politics. All political bigwigs from Chandigarh intensively campaigned for their party candidates in the polls.