Chandigarh Mayor Issue: AAP to move SC, Says Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann

A day following the dramatic events surrounding the Chandigarh Mayoral election results, Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann announced on Wednesday that both the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and Congress intend to approach the Supreme Court. He characterized the mayoral election in Chandigarh as a clear instance of democratic principles being violated, referring to it as a “murder of democracy.” CM Mann expressed concern about the recent developments and hinted at legal recourse, stating that the AAP Punjab and Congress would take the matter to the Supreme Court. He linked the unfolding events to the upcoming interim Union Budget presentation by Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Thursday, suggesting a connection between the political situation and the budgetary allocations for Punjab.

In parallel, members of the Youth Congress staged a protest outside the Mayor’s office in Chandigarh on the same day. Tensions escalated between the protestors and the police at the site. The Youth Congress activists voiced their grievances with chants demanding an end to corruption. However, the police eventually detained the protestors.

Simultaneously, a hearing took place in the Punjab Haryana High Court regarding alleged tampering with the results of the Chandigarh Mayoral election. Kuldeep Kumar, the mayoral candidate from the AAP and Congress, was represented by Punjab’s Advocate General Gurminder Gary, while Advocate Anil Mehta represented the Chandigarh Municipal Corporation. Following the proceedings, the Punjab Haryana High Court granted three weeks to the Chandigarh Municipal Corporation and Chandigarh Administration to submit their responses. The next hearing for this matter is scheduled for February 26.

The BJP’s Manoj Sonkar emerged as the winner of the Chandigarh Mayoral election on Tuesday, securing 16 votes against the 12 votes garnered by the Congress-AAP candidate Kuldeep Tita. Additionally, eight votes were deemed invalid. The invalid votes have led to opposition leaders, including Congress and AAP, alleging rigging and directing criticism toward the BJP-led central government.