If enacted, the amendment could enable direct governance of Chandigarh by a lieutenant governor, transferring authority from the Punjab governor. While officials assess the amendment’s actual effects, the bill has sparked significant debate regarding Punjab’s claim to its capital and the possible diminishment of its rights. The Union government plans to present the Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill, 2025, in the forthcoming winter session of Parliament. This legislation seeks to place Chandigarh under Article 240 of the Constitution, classifying it with Union territories lacking legislatures.
The proposed modification would empower the President to create regulations for Chandigarh, facilitating the appointment of a lieutenant governor to manage the city, in contrast to the existing arrangement where the Punjab governor serves as its administrator. This announcement has incited considerable political backlash in Punjab. The ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), along with the Congress and Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD), vehemently challenge this initiative, accusing the Centre of trying to
