punjab-haryana-hc-seeks-responses-on-aap-s-plea-for-fresh-chandigarh-mayoral-polls

The Punjab and Haryana High Court on Wednesday summoned responses from the Chandigarh administration and the municipal corporation following the Aam Aadmi Party's (AAP) plea for fresh mayoral elections under the supervision of a retired High Court judge. 

The court has allowed a three-week window for the respondents to file their replies.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) emerged victorious in the Chandigarh mayoral polls on Tuesday, causing a setback to the Aam Aadmi Party-Congress alliance. Alleging foul play, the alliance swiftly approached the high court, initiating a legal battle for fresh elections.

The petition, filed by AAP councillor Kuldeep Kumar, who contested for the mayoral post, targets the Chandigarh Municipal Corporation and the Union Territory administration, among others. 

Following the court hearing, petitioner's counsel Gurminder Singh revealed that the court has granted three weeks for the Chandigarh administration and municipal corporation to present their responses. 

However, Senior standing counsel Anil Mehta clarified that the court did not provide any interim relief to the petitioner.

Kumar's plea seeks to annul the mayoral election process, accusing it of "complete fraud and forgery." 

Additionally, he urged the court to prevent the newly elected mayor from performing official duties, citing the alleged fraud that purportedly tainted the entire election process.

The Congress and AAP, anticipating an easy victory in the 35-member House of the Chandigarh Municipal Corporation, faced an unexpected outcome as the BJP retained all three top posts contested. 

Opposition councillors, including those from the AAP, raised concerns of ballot tampering, specifically targeting presiding officer Anil Masih. However, Masih and the BJP vehemently rejected the allegations of tampering with the ballot papers.

The legal proceedings are expected to unfold over the next three weeks as the court awaits responses from the concerned authorities, adding a layer of complexity to the post-election scenario in Chandigarh.