Chandigarh mayor poll: HC declines INDIA bloc candidate’s plea against BJP rival

AAP-Congress candidate Kuldeep Dhalor urged court to restrain newly elected mayor Manoj Sonkar of BJP from discharging duties after controversial victory; also sought fresh elections and probe into Tuesday’s polling

The Punjab and Haryana high court on Wednesday declined INDIA bloc candidate Kuldeep Dhalor’s plea to restrain newly elected Chandigarh mayor Manoj Sonkar of the BJP from discharging his duties a day after his controversial election. The court, however, issued notice to the Union Territory administration to respond within three weeks.

INDIA bloc mayoral candidate Kuldeep Dhalor of the Aam Aadmi Party being consoled by AAP colleagues after his defeat to BJP’s Manoj Sonkar in Chandigarh on Tuesday. (PTI Photo)

In his plea, Dhalor, an Aam Aadmi Party councillor, sought that the elections be held afresh under the supervision of a retired high court judge as Tuesday’s polling was “a result of complete fraud and forgery, particularly in view of the role of the presiding officer (Anil Masih)”.

The AAP leader said that the Tuesday’s election should be probed by an independent agency and as an interim measure, the municipal corporation authorities should be told to seal and preserve the record of ballot papers and videography of the poll process.

“The presiding officer, in the most flimsy manner, addressed the House that he did not want any assistance from the members nominated by the parties contesting the election and he will count the votes himself. The AAP and the Congress raised their voice against this, but their requests were not heeded to. Surprisingly, the deputy commissioner, respondent number 2 and the prescribed authority, who was in the same capacity in last year’s election, remained mum. The joint commissioner, who was the so-called MC secretary for holding the election, also did not object,” the plea alleged.

It claimed that after some time the presiding officer, against all rules, announced that eight votes were invalid. He did not utter a word about the invalidity of the votes and the party to whom these votes were polled, it said.

High drama was witnessed in the Chandigarh mayoral elections on Tuesday after the presiding officer declared eight votes of the Congress and AAP councillors invalid, resulting in the victory of BJP’s Sonkar.

Chaos erupted with the AAP and the Congress alleging electoral malpractices by the BJP, which said that the victory was another jolt for the INDIA bloc.

BJP’s Sonkar won 16 votes, while AAP-Congress candidate Dhalor got 12 votes and eight votes were declared invalid.