Chandigarh Mayoral Polls: AAP, Congress Allege 'Illegal' Rejection Of Ballots, To Move HC Against BJP
Tension gripped the Assembly Hall of the Chandigarh Municipal Corporation as the presiding officer invalidated eight votes of Congress and AAP councillors, clearing the path for BJP's Manoj Sonkar.
Chandigarh Municipal Corporation (MC) witnesses turmoil as eight votes declared invalid, handing BJP candidate Manoj Sonkar victory in mayoral elections. High drama unfolded on Tuesday at the Assembly Hall of the Chandigarh Municipal Corporation (MC) after the presiding officer declared eight votes of Congress and AAP councillors invalid, paving the way for the BJP candidate Manoj Sonkar's victory in the mayoral elections.
Punjab Chief Minister and AAP leader Bhagwant Mann denounced the proceedings, labelling the day as a 'black day' for Indian democracy. Mann accused the BJP of election malpractice, referencing similar incidents in other states.
"Today will go down in history as a 'black day' in our country's democracy. Unfortunately, this is the same month that we commemorate Republic Day. Today, the Constitution has been shredded. The BJP 'looted' the Chandigarh mayor election in front of the media and cameras. Previously, they did this in Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka, Goa, Maharashtra, and the northeastern states. So this is their old habit," Mann stated during a press conference.
#WATCH | Chandigarh Mayor election | Punjab CM and AAP leader Bhagwant Mann says, "Today will be written and remembered as a 'black day' in the democracy of our country. Unfortunately, this is the same month when we celebrate Republic Day. Today, Constitution has been shredded.… pic.twitter.com/4bc2oQK7Aq
— ANI (@ANI) January 30, 2024
"All 16 on their side know how to vote, while 8 on our side don't!...Democracy was 'looted' today. Anil Masih is the head of the BJP Minority Wing. They appointed their officer bearer as presiding officer. On January 18th, he stated that he could not attend the election due to a problem with his spine. Today, I realised that he was completely correct. Actually, he didn't have a spine. He lacks courage. If he had a spine, he would have counted the votes correctly," the Punjab Chief Minister continued.
The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and the Congress, who were contesting the polls as part of the I.N.D.I.A bloc, have levelled serious allegations against the presiding officer, Anil Masih, accusing him of manipulating ballots during the counting process.
The AAP has submitted evidence, including footage purportedly showing Masih marking ballots, raising concerns about the election's integrity.
Sonkar secured 16 votes compared to AAP's Kuldeep Kumar's 12, with eight votes declared invalid.
The announcement of these results prompted immediate protests from AAP and Congress councillors, who accused the BJP of foul play.
BJP ने Chandigarh Mayor Election में की लोकतंत्र की हत्या‼️
— AAP (@AamAadmiParty) January 30, 2024
मेयर चुनाव में INDIA Alliance🇮🇳 के पास बहुमत होने के बाद जीत निश्चित थी
लेकिन BJP ने गुंडागर्दी कर मेयर चुनाव जीत कर बेशर्मी की सारी हदें पार कर दी
अगर बीजेपी एक मेयर चुनाव में ऐसी धक्केशाही कर रही है
तो लोकसभा… pic.twitter.com/5Y3Pbi3opO
AAP convener and Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal lambasted the BJP, accusing them of "cheating" in the electoral process.
"76 years ago, today, Mahatma Gandhi, was killed. Today, they (BJP) have killed democracy. It is a black day for democracy because of the way their dishonesty and hooliganism have been caught on camera. The entire nation is witnessing this on social media," the Delhi CM said at a press conference.
VIDEO | "76 years ago, today, Mahatma Gandhi, was killed. Today, they (BJP) have killed democracy. It is a black day for democracy because of the way their dishonesty and hooliganism have been caught on camera. The entire nation is witnessing this on social media," says Delhi CM… pic.twitter.com/u9aqmQ6TPf
— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) January 30, 2024
"If these people can stoop to this level in a mayoral poll, they can go to any extent in the national elections," Kejriwal said in a post on X earlier. "This is very worrying," he said.
AAP leader and Rajya Sabha member Raghav Chadha has demanded action against the presiding officer and a criminal case filed against him. “This was not just an unconstitutional and illegal thing but also a treason. Whatever happened today during the mayoral elections in Chandigarh can only be called treason,” Chadha said at a hurriedly called press conference.
#WATCH | On Chandigarh mayor election, AAP MP Raghav Chadha says, "Action should be taken against the Presiding Officer. He should be arrested, he has done treason...We will file a complaint & demand not just an inquiry but his arrest..." pic.twitter.com/5zjKAFPDuv
— ANI (@ANI) January 30, 2024
"Action should be taken against the Presiding Officer. He should be arrested, he has done treason. We will file a complaint & demand not just an inquiry but his arrest," he added further.
The AAP has moved the high court, with Punjab Advocate General Gurminder Singh mentioning Kumar's plea for urgent hearing. Singh submitted that eight votes were declared invalid without assigning any reason and demanded that the record of the election be sealed.
The high court will take up the case on Wednesday.
Neither the municipal authorities nor Masih has so far issued any clarification regarding these allegations.
The ballots may be declared invalid for several reasons, including identifying marks on the ballot paper that could reveal voters' identity and thus compromise the secrecy of the ballot.
Congress Punjab chief Amarinder Singh Raja Warring called the BJP just not "corrupt" but "hell bent to murder democracy".
In an X post, "Today’s incident is not just concerning for the political class… it should be concerning for every parent, for every student, for every citizen of this country… do we want such future for our kids? Do we want a dictatorship? And if the answer is no… it’s time to fight back! Otherwise it will soon be too late."
.@bjp4india is not just corrupt.
— Amarinder Singh Raja Warring (@RajaBrar_INC) January 30, 2024
It is hell bent to murder democracy.
They are comfortable with using muscle power, agencies, money, pressure tactics, using the officers and what not…
The attached video clearly shows the presiding officer manipulating votes.
Today’s… pic.twitter.com/lqGMvE1J2B
Former Congress MP Pawan Kumar Bansal labelled the incident as a brazen attempt to subvert democracy and accused Masih of orchestrating a premeditated scheme to undermine the electoral process.
“Agent of the Congress-AAP candidate was not allowed to see the ballot papers, the presiding officer announced rejection of eight votes, declared BJP candidate winner and went away. BJP members rushed to the table and tore off the ballot papers,” he alleged.
Newly-elected Chandigarh Mayor Manoj Sonkar said, "Levelling allegations is their (AAP-Congress) job. Wherever they don't have their way, they level allegations. Everything is on camera. But when they couldn't digest their defeat, they created this atmosphere and started blaming us. They started tearing ballot papers and jostling people around after the name of the Mayor was announced. When they can't run a small city, how can they run a state? Let them do a press conference, we are not wrong. We have won the election," he was quoted as saying by ANI.
The polls were originally scheduled for January 18 but were deferred to February 6 by the Chandigarh administration after the presiding officer fell ill. The administration had at that time also said the polls were postponed after assessing the law-and-order situation.
The administration's order deferring the polls had triggered protests by Congress and AAP councillors.
Kuldeep Kumar had challenged the Chandigarh deputy commissioner's order to defer the elections in the high court.
In its January 24 order, the high court directed the Chandigarh administration to hold the mayoral polls at 10 am on January 30. It also quashed the administration's January 18 order postponing the elections while holding it "unreasonable, unjustified and arbitrary".
The polls were originally scheduled for January 18 but were deferred to February 6 by the Chandigarh administration after the presiding officer apparently fell ill. The administration had at that time also said the polls were postponed after assessing the law-and-order situation. Kumar challenged the Chandigarh deputy commissioner's order to defer the elections in the high court.
The mayoral polls assume significance with opposition I.N.D.I.A bloc members, the Congress and the AAP, joining hands to contest the elections against the BJP, which has held the mayor’s post for the past eight years.
As part of the alliance, the AAP was contesting for the mayor's post while the Congress has fielded candidates for senior deputy mayor and deputy mayor.
The newly elected mayor will hold the elections for the posts of senior deputy mayor and deputy mayor.
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