Chandigarh Mayor Election Row: Punjab and Haryana High Court issues Notice to Chandigarh admin

A bench of justices Sudhir Singh and Harsh Bunger have issued the notice to the Chandigarh administration while hearing a plea by Congress councilors demanding cancellation of election of Deputy Mayor and Senior Deputy Mayor and conduct of fresh election.

Chandigarh: Amid the ongoing row around the election of BJP's Manoj Sonkar as Chandigarh Mayor, the Punjab and Haryana High Court has issued notice to the Chandigarh administration over a plea against the election of Senior Deputy Mayor and Deputy Mayor elected by Sonkar. A bench of Justices Sudhir Singh and Harsh Bunger issued the notice to the Union Territory administration while hearing the plea filed by Congress councilors regarding the elections of the Senior Deputy Mayor and Deputy Mayor of Chandigarh.

The Senior Deputy Mayor and Deputy Mayor were elected by Sonkar under suspicious circumstances after 18 AAP-Congress alliance councilors walked out of the room in protest against Sonkar's own controversial election on Jan 30 in the first place. In the controversial election, the AAP-Congress alliance alleged tampering by Presiding Officer Anil Masih, who was seen defacing ballot papers on CCTV footage.

It is learnt that the High Court has issued notice to Deputy Commissioner, Commissioner, Joint Commissioner, DGP, Presiding Officer, Mayor and asked them to file their response in this regard on the next date of hearing on Feb 26. Along with the petition regarding the mayoral election, the hearing on the petition with regard to the election of deputy and senior deputy mayor will also be held on February 26.

The Supreme Court on Monday, February 5 severely reprimanded the election officer Anil Masih calling it “murder of democracy”. The next hearing of this matter is going to be held by the apex court on Monday, February 12. The Aam Aadmi Party and Congress councilors and leaders have been protesting continuously demanding cancellation of the Chandigarh mayoral elections and conduct of fresh election.

For the last two days in Chandigarh, NSUI workers have been protesting by sometimes besieging the BJP office and sometimes locking the Municipal Corporation office. On Wednesday February 7, police used water cannons on NSUI workers who were on their way to besiege the BJP office. The police also lathi-charged the NSUI workers.

Some of the NSUI workers were detained by the police during the dharna on February 8, Thursday.