Punjab BJP chief Sunil Jakhar said Chandigarh is "an integral part of Punjab" and promised that confusion over the proposed changes will be addressed.
Punjab continues to assert its claim over Chandigarh and has demanded its transfer, a stance reiterated at a recent Northern Zonal Council meeting.
Facing criticism over the Centre’s proposal to introduce a law enabling the appointment of an independent administrator for Chandigarh, Punjab BJP chief Sunil Jakhar on Sunday reiterated that Chandigarh remains inseparable from Punjab and assured that any "confusion" surrounding the Union territory would be addressed.
"Chandigarh is an integral part of Punjab, and the Punjab BJP stands firmly with the interests of the state, whether it is the issue of Chandigarh or the waters of Punjab. Whatever confusion has arisen regarding Chandigarh will be resolved by discussing it with the government. As a Punjabi myself, I assure you that for us, Punjab always comes first," Jakhar said in a post on X.
The Centre has proposed bringing Chandigarh under Article 240 of the Constitution, which allows the president to directly make laws and regulations for the Union Territory.
The Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill, 2025, is scheduled to be introduced in the winter session of Parliament starting December 1, according to official notices issued by both Houses.
If enacted, the amendment would allow Chandigarh to have its own independent administrator — a system similar to the earlier arrangement when the UT had its own chief secretary. Chandigarh continues to function as the shared capital of Punjab and Haryana.
The proposal has triggered a sharp political backlash in Punjab, with the AAP government, Congress, and Shiromani Akali Dal accusing the Centre of attempting to "snatch" Chandigarh from the state.
Currently, the Punjab governor holds the role of Chandigarh’s Administrator. When Punjab was reorganised on November 1, 1966, Chandigarh was initially overseen by an independent chief secretary. That arrangement changed after June 1, 1984, when the Punjab governor assumed administrative control and the chief secretary’s role was downgraded to that of an adviser.
In 2016, the Centre attempted to reinstate the earlier model by appointing former IAS officer K J Alphons as independent administrator. The plan was later dropped following strong objections from then Punjab chief minister Parkash Singh Badal and other parties, including Congress and AAP.
Punjab continues to assert its claim over Chandigarh and has demanded its full transfer. The chief minister reiterated this position during a recent Northern Zonal Council meeting held in Faridabad.
