The AAP and Congress contested the Chandigarh mayoral polls in an alliance.
Chandigarh:
AAP leader Raghav Chadha on Tuesday questioned the election process for Chandigarh mayor and said they will approach the Punjab and Haryana High Court for fresh elections.
The BJP swept the Chandigarh mayoral polls, winning all three posts, including mayor, while defeating the Congress-AAP alliance.
Mr Chadha said the election process was not only “unconstitutional and illegal” but also an act of “deshdroh” (betrayal) when he accused the BJP of 'orchestrating' her after sensing her defeat in the elections.
Accompanied by senior Congress leader Pawan Kumar Bansal, the AAP MP said they will approach the Punjab and Haryana High Court, seeking fresh elections and also action against the Speaker.
BJP candidate Manoj Sonkar defeated AAP's Kuldeep Kumar, who was fielded as part of an alliance with Congress, to win the mayor's post.
Mr. Sonkar secured 16 votes while Mr. Kumar secured 12. Eight votes were declared invalid.
The AAP and Congress councilors later boycotted the elections for the posts of senior deputy mayor and deputy mayor, leading to BJP candidates Kuljit Sandhu and Rajinder Sharma securing the posts.
The poll results came as a setback for the AAP and Congress, who contested the mayoral elections in alliance.
“What we saw today in the Chandigarh mayoral elections was not only unconstitutional and illegal but was also an act of 'deshdroh',” Mr Chadha alleged while talking to reporters here.
He said the AAP-Congress alliance was destined to win the Chandigarh mayoral elections as they had 20 votes in the 35-member Chandigarh Municipal Corporation House.
“The victory of our alliance was certain, but sensing an impending defeat, the BJP hatched conspiracies. First, the chairman, who was to hold the elections on January 18, became ill. Then an attempt was made to buy councilors from the AAP. When the BJP's 'operation lotus' failed, they committed fraud (in the mayoral elections),” he alleged.
Mr Chadha said elections were being held with Anil Masih, an office-bearer of the minority wing of the BJP, announced as chairman.
“The BJP president did not allow election agents of any party to come forward during the counting of votes. Whenever counting takes place, party election agents are allowed to come,” he said.
The AAP leader further alleged that the Speaker himself used his pen on certain ballot papers and declared them invalid during counting.
“It was for the first time that out of 36 votes (including the vote of Chandigarh MP), eight votes were declared invalid,” he said while demanding an FIR against the Speaker.
Congress leader and former Union minister Bansal said such 'jungle raj' had never been seen and blamed the BJP for it.
Replying to a question, Mr Chadha said, “This is not a setback for one coalition or one party. It is a setback for Indian democracy and as a democrat we are aggrieved and dismayed.”
“We are worried about what will happen in the upcoming 2024 polls if the BJP can stoop to such a low level and commit rigging and illegality. The BJP can go to any level to manipulate the election process and indulge in all possible electoral fraud and rigging. malpractice,” he added.
The MP said his party will approach the Supreme Court to set aside Tuesday's election fraud, order fresh elections and appoint a retired Supreme Court judge as chairman of the elections.
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