AAP to move Supreme Court for early hearing on Chandigarh mayoral election

Chandigarh: The Aam Aadmi Party will move the Supreme Court seeking an early hearing of its plea on Chandigarh mayoral polls, Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann said on Wednesday.

His statement came hours after the Punjab and Haryana High Court fused to grant any interim relief on the AAP's petition for setting aside Tuesday's mayoral election and seeking fresh mayoral polls.

The HC also asked the Chandigarh administration to file its reply within three weeks and has adjourned the matter till February 26.

The AAP-Congress alliance has alleged tampering with ballot papers by the presiding officer Anil Masih, a charge rejected by him and the BJP which won the election to all three posts.

"We will move Supreme Court. We will seek an early hearing in the matter. There is a video of the whole thing," Mann said and questioned why the Chandigarh administration required three weeks to prepare a report.

The chief minister was replying to queries at a news conference here on the sidelines of chairing a meeting with the Deputy Commissioners during which he also reviewed works of various departments.

"What happened yesterday in the mayoral polls is murder of democracy.

"Before this too, such things have been happening under their rule. But yesterday there was video footage too of the whole thing... To save democracy is everyone's responsibility and all of us should make efforts," he said.

Mann had on Tuesday alleged "cheating" in the Chandigarh mayoral polls and said the day will be remembered as a black day for the country's democracy.

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has sought fresh elections under the supervision of a retired High Court judge.

The BJP had swept Chandigarh mayoral polls, retaining all three posts, in a setback to the Congress-AAP alliance.

The division bench of justices Sudhir Singh and Harsh Bunger on Wednesday also issued notices to the Chandigarh administration, the municipal corporation, presiding officer Anil Masih and newly elected mayor Manoj Sonkar, among others, to file their replies within three weeks.

The petition was filed by AAP councillor Kuldeep Kumar, who was the candidate for the mayor's post.

It alleged that the "election was not held in a free and fair manner and there was a gross violation while counting of votes, with tampering of the ballot papers and then declaring them invalid...".

The Congress and AAP had predicted an easy victory in the 35-member House of the Chandigarh Municipal Corporation, projecting it as an early test for the I.N.D.I.A. bloc.