After decade-long wait, it’s finally a Tewari & Tandon show in Chandigarh

CHANDIGARH: It’s once again a one-onone fight between BJP and Congress for the Chandigarh Lok Sabha constituency as has been the case in most of the elections since the city’s first parliamentary polls in 1967.
The difference this time though is that it is not just a battle between two parties, but the culmination of more than a decade-long wait for the two main contenders — BJP’s Sanjay Tandon and Congress’s Manish Tewari.
For two-time MP and former Union minister Tewari, 58, it is a homecoming he has been waiting for since 2009 polls. Born and raised in the city, Tewari learnt his first political lessons here. But since 1991, Congress brass kept its faith in its veteran functionary Pawan Kumar Bansal, who maintained a tight hold and resisted any new entrant in the city’s political landscape.
Bansal won four of the eight elections he contested in, including three wins on the trot in 1999, 2004 and 2009. In the last two Lok Sabha polls, he suffered major defeats at the hands of BJP’s actorturned-politician Kirron Kher, who has also grown up in the city.
For BJP’s Tandon, 60, the wait for nomination has been long and bitter. In 2014, he was the lead contender, but the party’s national leadership sprang a surprise by declaring Kher as candidate.
There were internal squabbles and protests, but Tandon, the Chandigarh BJP state president at the time, went along with the party’s decision. Riding the Modi wave, Kher won easily in 2014 and 2019 elections. But relations between Tandon and Kher have remained cold if not bitter. This time, with Kher struggling with health issues and anti-incumbency at its peak, the party finally decided to repose its faith in Tandon.
Man-To-Man Fight
Within the overarching campaign narratives of ‘democracy in danger’ vs ‘10 years of vikas’, the Chandigarh campaign is also driven by the personality and background of the two candidates.
Tewari, son of a noted educationist, poet and a former Rajya Sabha member V N Tewari, is a full-bred Congressman, having risen through the ranks — president of National Students Union of India from 1986 to 1993 and president of Indian Youth Congress from 1998 to 2003.
On the other end, Tandon’s roots run deep in BJP and Sangh Parivar. His father, Balram Das Tandon, was an RSS pracharak and founding member of the Bharatiya Jan Sangh in 1951. Tandon learnt his first ideological lessons in the Sangh’s shakhas. His first major political responsibility was in 1991 when he was put in charge of the party’s Lok Sabha campaign. Despite being overlooked by BJP for the Chandigarh ticket, Tandon continued to work at the grassroot level building close relationships within the cadre and also with major stake holders and interest groups across the city.
With Kher accused of being inaccessible and not on good terms with the Chandigarh administration, particularly in the last five years, party workers and residents have turned to Tandon. He has become the link between residents and administration. After Tewari was chosen Congress candidate, Tandon was quick to flaunt his wellcultivated connection, and labelled his rival an “outsider”. BJP also termed Tewari as a “bhagora” (runaway) for frequently changing his constituencies. “Where are you running off to in 2029?” is a rhetoric raised by Tandon in his campaigns.
Tewari was Congress MP from Ludhiana in 2009, didn’t contest 2014 elections, and in 2019 was elected from Punjab’s Anandpur Sahib seat. However, Tewari’s poll pitch is that even though he was representing other constituencies, he still lives in Chandigarh and has funded several projects in the city through his MPLAD funds and raised issues related to the city in Parliament. His supporters are also quick to remind, “He is a son of the soil. His father was killed in Chandigarh by terrorists (in 1984).” Tewari has also raked up Tandon’s connection with disgraced BJP-nominated councillor Anil Masih, who was castigated by Supreme Court for his role in denying INDIA bloc victory in Chandigarh mayoral elections. Attacking Tandon, Tewari has said, “A vote for Tandon is a vote for Masih.”
BJP Loses An Ally, Cong Gains One
For the first time, Congress is contesting Chandigarh elections in alliance with AAP. In 2014, AAP had dented Congress’ vote share by garnering nearly 24% of the total votes polled. Congress’ vote share shrank by 20% from 2009. In 2019, AAP got only 4% of votes. Congress recovered around 13% of the lost vote share.
BJP and its long-time ally, Shiromani Akali Dal, have parted ways this elections. Akalis, who hardly have a base in the constituency, had nominated their Chandigarh MC councillor Hardeep Singh as candidate but he gave up his ticket and quit the party, claiming no Akali leader was supporting him. He later joined AAP. BJP also suffered its first electoral setback in a decade in Chandigarh in the 2021 municipal corporation elections. AAP became the single largest party, followed by BJP and Congress, a development that may help Tewari.
Changing Voter Base
Rehabilitation colonies and villages, with nearly half of the city’s 6.6 lakh voters, are key to victory. They also have a higher propensity to get out and vote than those living in the sectorial grid. Migrants from Bihar and UP make up a major chunk of colonies and village voters. Issues like village and colony infrastructural development, regularisation of constructions outside lal dora, relief for building violations, traffic congestion, parking woes and ownership rights have consequently gained primacy in this election. And both candidates are on the same page regarding these issues.