AAP plea against mayoral polls filed with altered documents: Chandigarh DC tells HC

Chandigarh DC’s response came on a plea by AAP candidates who had lost the January 8 mayoral polls and sought its quashing

The Chandigarh deputy commissioner on Thursday claimed before the Punjab and Haryana high court that Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leaders, who have challenged elections to the posts of mayor, senior deputy mayor and deputy mayor of the Chandigarh municipal corporation (MC), filed the plea with “manipulated documents”.

In the January 8 mayoral elections, BJP’s first-time councillor Sarabjit Kaur Dhillon had won after defeating AAP’s Anju Katyal by one vote. AAP has questioned why one torn vote in the mayor’s election, in favour of the BJP, was not declared invalid by the presiding officer, while another with a “tick mark”, in favour of the AAP, was. (HT File Photo)

The DC‘s response came on a plea filed by AAP candidates, who lost the election to all three posts on January 8 and are seeking its quashing.

It was filed by the MC secretary on behalf of deputy commissioner, who was the prescribed authority for conducting the elections, and other official respondents.

In the January 8 mayoral elections, BJP’s first-time councillor Sarabjit Kaur Dhillon had won after defeating AAP’s Anju Katyal by one vote. AAP has questioned why one torn vote in the mayor’s election, in favour of the BJP, was not declared invalid by the presiding officer, while another with a “tick mark”, in favour of the AAP, was.

In the polls for the senior deputy mayor, BJP’s Dalip Sharma, pipped Prem Lata by two votes and for the deputy mayor’s post, BJP’s Anup Gupta and AAP’s Ram Chander Yadav were tied at 14 votes each, after which a draw of lot was conducted which went in Gupta’s favour.

At 14, AAP has the most councillors in the 35-member House, but for the mayoral polls, BJP, with its 13 councillors, also had 14 votes, including that of the MP.

The DC submitted that the AAP leaders had submitted a representation to him on January 8, only disputing the mayor’s elections. It was signed by Anju Katyal only. But in high court, the representation produced disputes the election to all three posts and is also signed by other AAP leaders.

This representation is not part of official record of the administration, the DC said, adding that “additions/ modifications” have been made in the representation submitted before HC.

The DC said the elections were held with secret ballot as per the provisions of the law. But, after remaining unsuccessful, vague and “vexatious allegations” are being levelled against the officials who were part of the process. The representatives of both the parties were associated with the poll process and their objections were dealt with by the presiding officer, the official said, demanding that the petition be dismissed with “exemplary cost”.

The court has posted the matter for hearing in July, asking AAP leaders to respond to the reply of UT, if required.