New Delhi: Chandigarh is currently witnessing a political storm as the Punjab and Haryana High Court on Wednesday refused to grant interim relief on the Aam Aadmi Party's (AAP) petition seeking fresh mayoral polls.
The court has asked the Chandigarh administration to give their response within three weeks.
AAP has alleged tampering with ballot papers during the counting process and is pushing for a redo under the supervision of a retired High Court judge.
The division bench of Justices Sudhir Singh and Harsh Bunger issued notices to the Chandigarh administration, the municipal corporation, presiding officer Anil Masih, and newly elected mayor Manoj Sonkar, among others, to file their replies within three weeks, reported PTI.
The matter was adjourned till February 26, reported PTI.
AAP councillor Kuldeep Kumar, who was the candidate for the mayor's post, filed the petition against the Chandigarh Municipal Corporation and the Chandigarh administration, among others.
After the hearing, UT Chandigarh administration senior standing counsel Anil Mehta said the court refused to give any interim relief to the petitioner. "We have been given a three-week time to file a response and we will do so," said Mehta.
He added that the issue regarding the maintainability of the petition was still pending, reported PTI.
"Our prayer's ambit was that the mayoral poll result be set aside and free and fair elections be held," said Singh who is also the Punjab Advocate General.
Earlier, The BJP had swept Chandigarh mayoral polls, retaining all three posts, in a setback to the Congress-AAP alliance which has alleged tampering with ballot papers by the presiding officer, as per PTI reports.
The drama surrounding the Chandigarh mayoral polls is far from over as legal proceedings take center stage.
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