Hours after the Supreme Court condemned the cancellation of votes in the Chandigarh mayoral elections, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) released a new video purportedly showing the presiding officer tampering with ballot papers. The party accused the BJP of dictatorship and called the video proof of electoral malpractice.
In the video, the presiding officer, allegedly associated with the BJP, is seen manipulating the ballot papers before declaring them invalid. The AAP seized upon this footage as evidence of BJP’s undemocratic conduct.
“Now accept it, BJP. What can be a greater proof than this? See how the Presiding Officer of BJP openly destroyed the flag of democracy by cancelling the votes himself. This is living proof of BJP’s dictatorship,” the AAP stated.
Despite the Congress-AAP alliance having a numerical advantage in the Chandigarh municipal council, the BJP candidate emerged victorious in the mayoral elections after the presiding officer invalidated eight votes. The AAP promptly moved the Supreme Court against this decision.
The Supreme Court, expressing outrage at the conduct of the presiding officer, condemned the defacement of ballot papers as a mockery of democracy and ordered the preservation of all election-related records. Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud demanded the prosecution of the presiding officer, emphasizing the sanctity of the electoral process.
“The only stabilising thing in a democracy is the purity of our election process. And what is happening here? We will not allow democracy to be murdered,” declared CJI Chandrachud, as the court directed the returning officer to appear personally on February 19.
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann joined in condemning the BJP’s alleged electoral misconduct. Kejriwal characterized the Chandigarh election as indicative of BJP’s unethical practices and emphasized the need for accountability.
As the controversy surrounding the Chandigarh mayoral elections intensifies, the AAP’s release of the purported tampering video has further fueled allegations of electoral malpractice, prompting calls for a thorough investigation into the matter.
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