Chandigarh Mayoral Polls: AAP Moves HC Over Deferment Of Key Election

The elections have been deferred to February 6, the administration informed the court.

AAP and Congress councilors protest outside the Chandigarh Municipal Corporation office after the postponement of Chandigarh Mayor elections.

Source : PTI

New Delhi: After the Chandigarh mayoral polls were abruptly postponed, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Thursday moved the Punjab and Haryana High Court seeking the quashing of the order deferring the key election. It was cancelled after the presiding officer reported ill. 

During the hearing on Thursday evening, the Chandigarh administration informed the court that the elections have been deferred to February 6, reported news agency PTI.

The high court served notices to the Chandigarh administration and the Municipal Corporation in response to a petition filed by AAP councillor Kuldeep Kumar, the mayoral candidate, seeking the quashing of an order postponing the mayoral polls.

However, the division bench of Justices Sudhir Singh and Harsh Bunger did not provide immediate relief to the petitioner and scheduled the next hearing for January 23, as per the PTI report

The counsel for the administration told the high court that February 6 has been fixed as the next date for holding the mayoral polls after assessing the prevailing law and order situation.

The mayoral polls, which were slated to take place on Thursday, were deferred till further orders after presiding officer Anil Masih fell sick.

The election which was touted to be the first face-off between the BJP and the I.N.D.I.A bloc saw the AAP and the Congress joining forces to take over the saffron party.

Councillors of the Congress and AAP staged a protest outside the Municipal Corporation and demanded to enter the building.

AAP MP Raghav Chadha earlier today alleged that the BJP was scared of defeat. 

Raghav Chadha said, "AAP and Congress have decided to approach the High Court for justice and ensure that the mayor election is held. It is clear that I.N.D.I.A. Alliance is winning this election & BJP is losing. BJP has got scared of the INDIA alliance. We request the EC to appoint another presiding officer if the existing one has fallen ill but the election should take place today. We had valid passe to enter the election building, but we were told that entry had been closed as the presiding officer had suddenly fallen ill. To end democracy and free and fair elections in the country, BJP will do anything."

Lashing out at the BJP, Chandigarh Congress chief Harmohinder Singh Lucky said, "The 'Operation Lotus' has failed in Chandigarh. They (BJP) can sense their defeat. They lost morally when they did not even turn up (to cast vote). We (AAP and Congress) all are here to cast our votes. This shows that the BJP cannot accept their defeat."