Chandigarh mayoral election: SC to examine ballot papers, video of voting process today
New Delhi: In the Chandigarh mayoral election, the Aam Aadmi Party has levied serious allegations of vote rigging and horse-trading.
Amidst AAP’s allegations, the Supreme Court will today scrutinize the ballot papers of the Chandigarh Mayor Election and the video recording of the counting process. The court has summoned the ballot papers.
In the Chandigarh mayoral election, BJP’s Manoj Sonkar won by 16 votes, defeating Aam Aadmi Party-Congress alliance candidate Kuldeep Kumar, who received 12 votes.
Controversy arose when returning officer Anil Masih declared invalid eight votes of the coalition partners, leading to allegations of tampering in the ballot papers.
Following the election, a viral video depicted Masih, a member of the BJP’s minority cell, marking the ballot papers for AAP councillors.
During a hearing on February 5th, the Supreme Court condemned the act, denouncing it as a “mockery of democracy”.
The Supreme Court bench, led by Chief Justice DY Chandrachud, Justice JB Pardiwala, and Justice Manoj Mishra, expressed profound concern over the alleged “horse-trading” and opted to review the video recording of the ballot papers and the counting process.