Chandigarh Mayoral Poll: Supreme Court Says It Will Not Allow Murder Of Democracy
Editor-in-Chief of indiacommentary.com. Current Affairs analyst and political commentator.
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By Sunil Garodia
First publised on 2024-02-05 15:19:52
About the Author
Editor-in-Chief of indiacommentary.com. Current Affairs analyst and political commentator.
View all posts by this Author
When the AAP-Congress alliance, with 20 councillors in their bag, lost the Chandigarh mayoral election, they, along with the rest of the country, were dumbstruck. Initially, it was believed that some councillors might have cross-voted. But when it was disclosed that Anil Masih (a nominated councillor without voting rights), the returning officer (RO), had ruled that eight votes of the alliance were invalid and hence they had lost the election 12-16, it was clear that all was not hunky-dory.
The rules prescribed voting through secret ballot. But they did not specify secret counting. The opposition alleged that the RO did not count votes in their presence, did not show them the ballots he found invalid and did not specify the reason why he found them so. The RO was also accused of having defaced some ballots. Those were gross irregularities on part of the RO. What exactly was he doing? Did he not have any fear that the courts would question him?
The Supreme Court, hearing a plea filed by AAP councillor Kuldeep Singh, took an extremely stern view of the way the counting was done and the entire process was conducted by Masih. Terming it as an attempt to murder democracy, the apex court has asked the Registrar General of Punjab & Haryana HC to provide the entire record of the election process including ballot papers, videography and all other material. It has also indefinitely postponed the first meeting of Chandigarh civic body which was to be held on February 7.
The apex court said that "this is a mockery of democracy" and the "RO is murdering democracy". It said that the RO appeared to have defaced the ballots and needs to be prosecuted. AAP had accused the BJP of "stealing" the election, a charge BJP had denied. But with the apex court angry at the way the proceedings were gone through and determined to get to the bottom of the affair, the truth will be out soon.
