New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Monday criticized the civic poll officer who conducted the Chandigarh Mayor elections, stating that it is evident that the Returning Officer has “defaced” the ballot papers.
“Is this the way he conducts the elections? This is a mockery of democracy. This is a murder of democracy. We are appalled. This man should be prosecuted. Is this the behavior of the Returning Officer?” Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud said.
The top Court also instructed the preservation of the entire record of the election process, including ballot papers, videography, and other materials, through the Registrar General of Punjab and Haryana High Court.
The SC directed that the upcoming meeting of the Chandigarh Corporation shall be postponed until the next date of hearing.
Kuldeep Kumar, who lost the Chandigarh mayoral election, has filed a petition in the apex court against the High Court’s refusal to grant an immediate stay on the election result in which the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate was declared the Mayor.
The BJP’s Manoj Sonkar was declared the Mayor of Chandigarh on January 30 after winning the mayoral polls with 16 votes, as opposed to the 12 votes received by Congress-AAP candidate Kuldeep Tita. Eight votes were deemed invalid.
The invalidation of eight votes in the Chandigarh Mayoral polls has led opposition leaders to raise allegations of rigging, with Congress and AAP attacking the BJP-led central government over the issue.