AAP Councillor Challenges Chandigarh Mayoral Polls in Supreme Court,

Chandigarh’s mayoral election is embroiled in controversy! AAP’s Kuldeep Kumar has challenged the results, alleging “fraud and forgery” during voting. He accuses the returning officer of tampering with ballots and demands fresh polls supervised by a retired judge. Eight votes for Kumar were deemed invalid, further fueling suspicions. The Supreme Court agreed to consider his plea, raising the stakes in this high-profile dispute. Will the BJP’s win stand, or will Kumar’s accusations lead to a re-election? Stay tuned for the latest developments!

The Story:

1. AAP councillor Kuldeep Kumar filed a plea in the Supreme Court on February 2nd, 2024, challenging the results of the Chandigarh mayoral elections held on January 30th.
2. He alleges ballot tampering and malpractices during the counting process, favoring the BJP candidate Manoj Sonkar who won by a narrow margin.
   Kumar, who represented the Congress-AAP alliance, claims eight valid votes were wrongly declared invalid, swaying the outcome towards the BJP.
3. He seeks fresh elections under the supervision of a retired judge and an independent investigation into the alleged irregularities.
4. The Supreme Court agreed to consider listing the plea for an early hearing, marking a potential setback for the BJP’s victory in Chandigarh.

Background:

• On January 30th, 2024, BJP candidate Manoj Sonkar was declared the winner of the Chandigarh mayoral election, defeating AAP-Congress alliance candidate Kuldeep Kumar by 4 votes.
• AAP alleged irregularities in the voting process, specifically accusing the presiding officer of tampering with ballot papers.
• Kumar challenged the election results in the Punjab and Haryana High Court, seeking a re-election and an investigation into the alleged tampering.
• The High Court refused to grant any interim relief, prompting Kumar to appeal to the Supreme Court.

AAP’s Allegations:

• AAP claims that the presiding officer, Anil Masih, deliberately invalidated votes cast in favor of their candidate.
• They have presented video evidence allegedly showing Masih smudging ballot papers.
• The party demands a fair and transparent election process and wants to ensure the will of the people is upheld.

Supreme Court’s Decision:

• On February 2nd, 2024, the Supreme Court agreed to consider Kumar’s plea for an urgent hearing.
• Chief Justice D.Y. Chandrachud acknowledged the seriousness of the allegations and stated that the court would “list it… we will look at it.”
• This decision means the Supreme Court will hear Kumar’s arguments and decide whether to grant him any relief, such as ordering a fresh election or an investigation.

Next Steps:

• The Supreme Court will now schedule a hearing for Kumar’s plea.
  Both sides, AAP and the Chandigarh administration will present their arguments before the court.
• The court will then deliver its verdict, which could have significant implications for the Chandigarh mayoral election.

Current Status:

As of today, February 3rd, 2024, no date for the Supreme Court hearing has been set.
The court has only agreed to consider listing the plea, but it remains to be seen when the case will be heard and how it will rule.

It’s important to note that the case is still ongoing, and no final verdict has been reached. The Supreme Court’s decision will determine the next steps in this controversy.

Update 6th Feb

Recent developments:

• Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud expressed severe criticism: He stated that the Presiding Officer’s actions were “obvious defacement of ballot papers” and called it a “mockery and murder of democracy.”

Court ordered:

• All records, ballot papers, and videography related to the election be secured with the Punjab & Haryana High Court Registrar General.
• Deferment of the first meeting of the Chandigarh civic body scheduled for February 7th indefinitely.
• Presiding Officer Anil Masih to appear in court on February 19th to explain his conduct.