The Supreme Court has intervened in the controversy surrounding the recent Chandigarh mayor elections. On Monday, the apex court directed that all ballot papers and original records, including videography related to the election, be handed over to the registrar of the Punjab and Haryana High Court.
Expressing deep concern over the alleged malpractice, the top court issued a stern rebuke, questioning the integrity of the returning officer and highlighting the severity of the situation. “It’s obvious he (the returning officer) defaced ballot papers? He is murdering democracy? Can’t allow democracy to be murdered like this,” remarked the Supreme Court while issuing notice on a petition filed by Aam Aadmi Party’s councilor Kuldeep Dhalor, who contested the election against Bharatiya Janata Party’s Manoj Sonkar.
Labeling the situation as a “mockery of democracy,” the apex court also ordered the deferral of the Chandigarh municipal corporation meeting scheduled for 7 February, pending further investigation.
The court’s intervention follows the BJP’s victory in the mayoral election, where Sonkar emerged triumphant over AAP’s Kuldeep Kumar. However, controversy erupted when eight opposition votes were scrapped by the presiding officer as “invalid,” prompting allegations of vote tampering.
In response, the AAP staged a protest against the BJP, demanding the arrest of the presiding officer for alleged tampering with ballot papers. AAP councilors, led by the party’s Chandigarh co-incharge Sunny Ahluwalia, staged a sit-in protest outside the municipal corporation office, denouncing what they termed as “vote theft” by the BJP.
“This relay hunger strike is against the ‘vote chor’ (vote thief) BJP and to save our democracy. This protest will continue until Presiding Officer Anil Masih is arrested and the ‘fake’ mayor is removed,” stated Ahluwalia.
