Chandigarh Mayoral Poll Reschedule: HC asks UT Administration to Notify Earliest Date

Punjab and Haryana High Court asked UT administration to notify the earliest possible date for the rescheduled Chandigarh mayoral poll. The court was addressing the petition of Kuldeep Dhalor, the AAP mayoral candidate, challenging the decision of the Chandigarh administration to postpone the election until February 6. Dhalor demanded that the election be conducted within 24 hours.

On January 18, the administration had postponed the poll to February 6. However, during the Saturday hearing, the bench expressed dissatisfaction with the extended timeframe for holding the polls. Originally, the court emphasized conducting the polls before January 26, but after arguments from both sides, it directed the UT’s counsel to inform the court by January 23 of the earliest feasible date for the polls.

Kuldeep Dhalor, the AAP mayoral candidate, had approached the court challenging the UT’s decision to defer the election until February 6 and urging for it to be held within 24 hours. Additionally, a request was made for the appointment of a court commissioner to ensure “free and fair” elections.

During the proceedings, UT’s counsel informed the court about scheduled events leading up to the inauguration of the Ram Temple in Ayodhya on January 22 and the subsequent Republic Day celebrations. Due to these events and potential law and order concerns, the date of February 6 was chosen.

The court was also informed about AAP councillors’ presence at the MC office on January 16 with Punjab Police commandoes, as mentioned in a UT police report. The petitioner’s counsels questioned the deputy commissioner’s order to defer the polls, arguing that it was illegal and arbitrary.

The court rejected the argument of law and order apprehensions, suggesting the possibility of deploying central forces if needed. It emphasized that this election involved only 35 participants and was not a general election.

In the 35-member MC House, the AAP and Congress, allies in the election, hold 20 votes, while the BJP, in power for eight years, has 15 votes. This was the third plea from the AAP and the fourth from the Congress-AAP alliance regarding the high-stakes elections initially scheduled for January 18 but postponed by the administration. Accusations have been made against UT officials, alleging favoritism towards the BJP and an attempt to delay the election to facilitate support gathering.