AAP councillor moves SC against HC order declining a stay on Chandigarh mayor election

Aam Aadmi Party councillor Kuldeep Kumar has filed a plea in the Supreme Court challenging the Punjab and Haryana High Court order that refused to grant stay on election result in which a BJP candidate was declared as mayor of Chandigarh Municipal Corporation.

The high court had on Wednesday issued notice and listed the matter for hearing after three weeks, acting on Kumar’s petition alleging fraud in BJP’s win and forgery in rejection of the eight votes.

BJP’s Manoj Sonkar was elected as the mayor on Tuesday after he bagged 16 votes against the 12 votes received by the Congress-AAP candidate Kumar. 

Eight votes were rejected in the process as invalid.

After the high court hearing, Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann said the party will move the top court for an early hearing in the matter. 

Kumar moved the apex court on Thursday.

In his plea before the High Court, Kumar sought a direction for fresh election in a free and fair manner under the supervision of a retired high court judge. 

His plea claimed that in complete departure of the practice and rules, the presiding officer refused to allow the nominees of parties to monitor the counting of votes.