The News Freedom
New Delhi, February 5
In a scathing rebuke, the Supreme Court on Monday denounced the recent Chandigarh mayoral election as a “mockery of democracy” and ordered the surrender of all original records, including video footage, to the registrar of the Punjab and Haryana High Court. The directive stems from concerns raised by the Opposition Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) regarding potential vote tampering, particularly after eight votes cast for their candidate were invalidated.
The bench, comprising Chief Justice of India (CJI) DY Chandrachud, Justices JB Pardiwala, and Manoj Misra, said , “We direct that the entire record pertaining to the election of the Mayor of the Chandigarh Municipal Corporation shall be sequestered under the custody of the Registrar General of the High Court of Punjab and Haryana. This shall include the ballot papers, videography of the entire electoral process, all other material in the custody of the Returning Officer. This exercise shall be carried out forthwith by 5 pm this evening.”
Expressing dismay at the reported actions of the returning officer, the CJI remarked, “It is obvious that he has defaced the ballot papers. He needs to be prosecuted. Why is he looking at the camera? Mr. Solicitor, this is a mockery of democracy and murdering democracy. We are appalled. Is this the behavior of a returning officer? Wherever there is a cross at the bottom, he does not touch it but when it is at the top, he alters it.”
Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, representing the Returning Officer, said that the Returning Officer had submitted the entire record in a sealed format to the Deputy Commissioner, UT Chandigarh, on January 30, 2024.
“The Deputy Commissioner, UT Chandigarh, shall comply with the above direction by handing over the entirety of the record to the Registrar General of the High Court of Punjab and Haryana for safekeeping and custody. The ensuing meeting of the Chandigarh Municipal Corporation, which is to take place on 7 February 2024, shall stand deferred, pending further orders of this Court,” added the Supreme Court.
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate Manoj Sonkar emerged victorious in the Chandigarh Mayoral election on January 30, securing 16 votes against AAP candidate Kuldeep Kumar’s 12. However, the contest was marred by drama as eight ballots were deemed invalid, sparking protests from AAP and Congress councillors. The invalidated votes have added a layer of complexity to the election results, with both AAP and Congress questioning the validity of the process.