8 invalidated votes in Chandigarh poll to be counted

February 20, 2024 15:38

AAP supporters scuffle with police over the polls

Chandigarh mayoral polls: Judicial officer appointed by the Punjab and Haryana High Court produces records including ballot papers in the mayoral polls row.

"We would like to see ballots which were invalidated," says the court. The court scrutinises the ballot papers and says eight votes cast in favour of AAP candidate had extra "marks".

A bench led by Chief Justice DY Chandrachud examined the eight "invalid" votes at the heart of the row between the BJP and the AAP, and said they "shall be recounted... treated as valid" and "results declared on the basis of that". The court calls for recounting, says, "Let eight rejected ballots be also counted."

The Supreme Court on Monday ordered that the ballot papers and video that have been taken into custody by the Registrar General of Punjab and Haryana High Court according to its order, be produced before the apex court today.

A bench of Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud and Justices JB Pardiwala and Manoj Misra directed that the necessary security arrangements shall be made to ensure the safe transit and proper preservation and custody of ballet papers along with judicial officers.

The bench expressed concern over the "horse trading" and slammed Anil Masih, the Returning Officer for the Chandigarh Municipal polls, saying he must be prosecuted for "defacing ballot papers". "We are deeply concerned about the horse-trading which is taking place...," the bench said at the end of the hearing.

The BJP won the Chandigarh mayoral polls on January 30 defeating the comfortably placed AAP-Congress alliance candidate after the returning officer declared as invalid eight votes of the coalition partners, drawing accusations of tampering with ballots.

Manoj Sonkar of the BJP defeated Kuldeep Kumar after polling 16 votes against his rival's 12 to bag the mayor's post. Sonkar, however, resigned subsequently, while three AAP councillors defected to the BJP.

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