The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) dropped plans to introduce a Constitutional Amendment Bill to bring Chandigarh under Article 240 of the Constitution. This announcement came on Sunday, November 23, 2025, two days after the Centre had listed a Bill aiming to place Chandigarh directly under Central control, like other Union Territories (UTs). The Bill would have allowed the Centre to appoint an independent administrator in Chandigarh. Currently, Punjab Governor Gulab Chand Kataria serves as Chandigarh’s administrator. The proposed move sparked outrage among Punjab’s political parties, including Congress, Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD), Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and even BJP’s Punjab unit. Punjab Congress leaders Pratap Singh Bajwa and Manish Tewari said, "Chandigarh was meant to be Punjab’s capital and any attempts to snatch it away would be an open attack on Punjab’s rights." SAD chief Sukhbir Singh Badal called the Bill a "betrayal on all commitments made to Punjab to hand over Chandigarh to it." AAP MP Malvinder Kang urged all Punjab MPs to "unite and defeat this Bill in Parliament." BJP Punjab chief Sunil Jhakar also stated, "Chandigarh is an integral part of Punjab" and quickly met Union Home Minister Amit Shah to clear confusion. Following the backlash, the Centre withdrew the Bill and issued a clarification saying, "The proposal does not in any way involve altering the governance and administrative arrangements of Chandigarh or the traditional relations of Chandigarh with Punjab or Haryana. An appropriate decision will be taken only after adequate consultation with all stakeholders." Chandigarh has a complex history as the joint capital of Punjab and Haryana since 1966. Over the years, multiple agreements and resolutions tried to resolve its status but none succeeded, causing ongoing tussles. The recent controversy highlights the political sensitivity around Chandigarh’s governance ahead of the 2027 Punjab elections. The Home Ministry’s quick retreat from the Bill indicates a lack of political will to fully resolve Chandigarh’s status for now.