The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has released a video allegedly showing the manipulation of ballot papers by the Presiding Officer in today’s Chandigarh mayoral election. The BJP candidate was declared the winner after eight votes for the INDIA bloc were deemed invalid. The elections, initially scheduled for January 18, were postponed due to the presiding officer’s ill health but proceeded following a court order.
Punjab Congress Chief Amarinder Singh Raja Warring accused the BJP of attempting to “murder democracy,” citing the video as evidence of vote manipulation. He emphasized the broader implications for the democratic process, urging citizens to resist the potential establishment of a dictatorship.
AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal expressed concern over cancelling 8 votes, calling it “extremely worrying.” He suggested that if such incidents occurred in a mayoral election, the BJP might go to any extent in national elections.
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AAP MP Raghav Chadha called for action against the Presiding Officer, stating that he should be arrested for treason. Chadha emphasized the setback not just for a particular coalition but for India’s democracy as a whole, expressing worries about the 2024 polls and alleging that the BJP could resort to forgery and illegality.
In the contested mayoral election, BJP candidate Manoj Kumar Sonkar emerged victorious with 16 votes out of 36, including the ex-officio member’s vote. The INDIA bloc candidate Kuldeep Singh secured 20 votes, but eight votes were declared invalid, leading to protests by the AAP-Congress alliance. The AAP announced plans to approach the Punjab and Haryana High Court to challenge the decision to declare votes invalid. The situation highlights concerns about the integrity of the electoral process and the potential consequences for upcoming elections in the country.
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