Chandigarh mayor elections: 'This is murder of democracy,' SC slams returning officer, orders preservation of entire record

Supreme Court Chief Justice DY Chandrachud on Monday made scathing observations while hearing the pleas against the election of the mayor in Chandigarh. The CJI slammed the Returning Officer, saying it was obvious that he had defaced the ballot papers. "Is this the way he conducts the elections? This is a mockery of democracy. This is a murder of democracy. We are appalled. This man should be prosecuted. Is this the behaviour of Returning Officer?" he asked.

The BJP had bagged the mayor post after the returning officer declared 8 votes, which was for the AAP, invalid. The AAP challenged the election in the SC.

The SC ordered the preservation of the entire record of the election process including ballot papers, videography, and other material through the Registrar General of Punjab and Haryana High Court. The top court directed that the ensuing meeting of the Chandigarh Corporation shall be deferred till the next date of hearing.

Last Tuesday, the BJP bagged the post of Chandigarh mayor after its candidate Manoj Sonkar secured 16 votes out of 35 votes. The Congress and AAP mayor candidate Kuldeep Singh managed to get just 12 votes, while eight votes were declared invalid. The AAP alleged foul play as eight votes were declared invalid.

AAP MP Raghav Chadha said for the first time in the Chandigarh mayoral elections, 8 out of the 35 votes were declared invalid. He said the Congress and AAP alliance had to get 20 votes, they got 12 votes and 8 were declared invalid. "Not a single vote of the BJP was declared invalid," he said.