Newly Elected Chandigarh Mayor Resigns Ahead Of Supreme Court Hearing In Poll Rigging Allegations

Chandigarh Mayor Manoj Sonkar, a prominent figure in the BJP, tendered his resignation today in anticipation of the Supreme Court’s upcoming hearing on alleged irregularities in the mayoral election.

Sonkar emerged victorious in the closely-watched contest against Aam Aadmi Party’s Kuldeep Kumar on January 30, securing 16 votes, while the joint candidate of the Congress and AAP managed 12 votes. Notably, eight votes were deemed invalid, sparking tension between the BJP and the opposition.

The AAP faced additional setbacks as three of its councillors – Poonam Devi, Neha, and Gurcharan Kala – defected to the BJP. With these additions, the BJP’s count in the 35-member Chandigarh Municipal Corporation rose to 17, complemented by support from one Shiromani Akali Dal councillor and ex-officio voting rights for BJP’s Chandigarh MP Kirron Kher, bringing their total to 19.

Following the January 30 results, chaos erupted in the House, with Congress and AAP councillors accusing the BJP of electoral malpractice. Allegations of ballot tampering were leveled against presiding officer Anil Masih, supported by a video submitted to the Supreme Court. The BJP, however, vehemently denied the charges.

Reacting to the video evidence, Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud criticized the behavior of the returning officer and deemed it a mockery of democracy. The Supreme Court ordered the preservation of both the ballots and the video footage of the electoral proceedings, summoning Masih to appear before the court on February 19.

The AAP and Congress celebrated the court’s observations as a rebuke to the BJP. The mayoral poll, initially slated for January 18, was rescheduled to February 6 due to the presiding officer’s illness, a move later criticized by the court. Despite the High Court’s directive to hold the polls on January 30, the AAP’s attempt to secure fresh elections under a retired judge’s supervision was denied, leading to Kuldeep Kumar’s appeal to the Supreme Court against the High Court’s decision.

Parvasi Weekly Inc.