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A red-faced BJP downplays Chandigarh mayoral poll loss
In a major setback to the saffron party, the Supreme Court on Tuesday overturned the results of the Chandigarh mayoral elections, in which returning officer Anil Masih had invalidated eight ballot votes
At a loss on how to respond to the surprising turn of events in the Chandigarh mayoral election, the BJP leadership has opted to downplay the matter and brush off the “vote-tampering” fiasco as a minor issue or “chhoti si baat.”
In a major setback to the saffron party, the Supreme Court on Tuesday overturned the results of the Chandigarh mayoral elections, in which returning officer Anil Masih had invalidated eight ballot votes.
Asserting that the saffron party leaders had no knowledge of the electoral coup, former Gujarat chief minister and Chandigarh BJP in-charge Vijay Rupani said, “We respect the court’s verdict. We do not know how all this happened, and cannot have bona fide doubt on any one person. I will take up the matter with the local leadership when I come to Chandigarh.”
Jatinder Malhotra, the Chandigarh BJP chief, who was appointed with the express purpose of taking the saffron party to victory in October last year, is on the receiving end of the flak from within the saffron party. As per party members, who did not wish to be named, a section of leaders is unhappy with his handling of the mayoral polls.
On whether the episode has dented the BJP’s image in Chandigarh, Malhotra said, “Though it is just a mayor election, it has now unnecessarily become a national issue. I believe it is a small issue, which is being blown out of proportion. The party’s image is intact. We will soon hold a meeting in this regard once we get the copy of the Supreme Court order.”
Emphasising that the majority is with the BJP, former Chandigarh BJP chief Arun Sood said, “We honour and respect the decision of the top court, but I ask the AAP, who pretend to be moral and ethical, why their party member is holding the mayor’s position when they do not have a majority in the house.”
A senior BJP leader, on the condition of anonymity, said, “It was a complete failure of the present leadership, who failed to handle the situation. Why was the presiding officer instructed to put a tick mark on the ballot papers when there were several cameras in the assembly hall? This decision dented the image of the party at the national and international level. It should be probed, and responsibility should be fixed.”
Meanwhile, the BJP has divested Masih, who has been the general secretary of the saffron party’s Minority Morcha since 2021, of the post.
