Chandigarh Mayor Polls: AAP Moves High Court Alleging Vote Tampering

Chandigarh: In a post-election twist, AAP councillor Kuldeep Kumar has approached the Punjab and Haryana High Court seeking the annulment of the recent UT mayoral polls won by the BJP candidate. Kumar alleged the election was marred by “complete fraud and forgery” and called for a fresh, transparent process supervised by a retired high court judge. The AAP representative also urged an independent investigation, led by a special investigation team, into the alleged fraud during the election.

The petition filed by Kumar sought court directions for the preservation and presentation of all election-related documents, including ballot papers and videography records. Additionally, he requested a restraining order against the elected BJP candidate, Manoj Kumar Sonkar, from performing mayoral duties.

According to Kumar, issues arose when the presiding officer decided to count votes without the participation of nominated representatives from contesting parties, contrary to established rules. The petitioner contends that the presiding officer shuffled votes between baskets, compromising the election process through forgery and tampering. Kumar asserts that this behaviour not only violates election norms but also disrespects court directives regarding a free and fair electoral process.

The petition is scheduled for a hearing on Wednesday, with senior advocate Gurminder Singh expected to present arguments on behalf of the petitioner. The AAP councillor alleged a blatant “murder of democracy” and asserted that the respondents have violated directives concerning fair elections and videography ordered by the High Court.