Chandigarh mayoral poll row: AAP-Congress joint candidate seeks urgent hearing in SC

New Delhi, Feb 2 (IANS) INDIA bloc’s mayoral candidate Kuldeep Kumar has sought an urgent hearing on his petition filed before the Supreme Court against the Punjab and Haryana High Court’s refusal to stay the results of Chandigarh Municipal Corporation (CMC). 

On Friday, senior advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi, who appeared on Kumar’s behalf, made a mentioning before a bench headed by CJI DY Chandrachud seeking directions for urgent listing of the matter 

“Please send an email. We would look at it,” CJI Chandrachud told Singhvi. 

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) councillor Kuldeep Kumar has petitioned the Supreme Court after the P&H High Court refused to pass an interim order staying the election results held last week for the post of mayor.

Hearing a plea filed by Kumar -- AAP and Congress Party’s Joint Candidate -- who had accused the Presiding Officer of resorting to fraud and forgery in the counting process, the Punjab and Haryana High Court on Wednesday did not pass any interim relief but issued notice in the matter and sought response from the Chandigarh administration and CMC within a period of three weeks.

In a major setback to the INDIA bloc’s Congress-AAP alliance, the municipal corporation ruling BJP retained the mayoral seat for the ninth time in a row by winning the post with just four votes.

The AAP-Congress alliance lost the seat despite having the maximum councillors. Eight out of 36 votes were declared invalid by presiding authority Anil Masih, a nominated councilor, with no voting right. The BJP got 16 votes, while the AAP-Congress alliance had 12 votes despite having 20 councillors.

In his petition before the high court, the AAP-Congress joint candidate alleged complete departure of the practice and rules saying that the presiding officer refused to allow the nominees of parties to monitor the counting of votes.

Kumar prayed for fresh election in a free and fair manner under the supervision of a retired High Court judge.

“The presiding officer in most flimsy manner addressed to the House that he does not want any assistance from the members nominated by the parties contesting the election and he will count the vote himself,” the petition said.

--IANS

pds/dan