Chandigarh mayoral polls: Congress, AAP hold joint protest against 'tampering' with ballots

Chandigarh: The Congress and the AAP on Wednesday jointly held a protest here, a day after the BJP swept the Chandigarh mayoral polls.

The councillors of the Aam Aadmi Party and the Congress shouted slogans against the BJP, claiming 'murder of democracy' during the mayoral polls which took place on Tuesday.

The protesters gathered near the Sector 17 police station here to lodge a police complaint in connection with the mayoral polls.

Heavy police force was deployed and barricades were erected near the police station.

The protesters demanded action against presiding officer Anil Masih, accusing him of tampering with some ballot papers during the polls which led to declaration of eight votes as invalid.

"If there is any threat to democracy in the country, it is from the BJP," said AAP leader S S Ahluwalia.

Senior Congress leader Pawan Kumar Bansal, Chandigarh Congress president H S Lucky and several AAP leaders joined the protest.

In a setback to the Congress-AAP alliance, the BJP on Tuesday swept Chandigarh mayoral poll, retaining all the three posts. The Congress and the AAP alleged tampering with the ballot papers by the presiding officer.

Councillors of the two INDIA bloc parties created a ruckus in the Chandigarh Municipal Corporation House as the result for the mayor's post was declared. They boycotted the next phase of elections to the posts of senior deputy mayor and deputy mayor.

BJP candidate Manoj Sonkar defeated AAP's Kuldeep Kumar for the mayor's post, polling 16 votes against the 12 bagged by his rival. Eight votes were declared invalid.

BJP nominees Kuljit Sandhu and Rajinder Sharma were declared elected to the posts of senior deputy mayor and deputy mayor respectively as they secured 16 votes each.

Opposition councillors alleged tampering with the ballot papers in the elections, a charge rubbished by the BJP.