In anticipation of the upcoming Supreme Court hearing regarding the Chandigarh mayoral election, Mayor Manoj Sonkar has tendered his resignation on Sunday. This decision comes in the wake of the controversy surrounding last month’s election, where Mr. Sonkar, representing the BJP, secured victory with 16 votes in the 35-member MC House. However, eight votes were deemed invalid, prompting allegations of poll rigging from Congress and AAP members. Both parties, in alliance as part of the INDIA bloc, had jointly contested against the BJP, with the Congress vying for senior deputy mayor and deputy mayor positions while the AAP sought the Mayor post.
Following his defeat, the Congress-AAP candidate, Kuldeep Kumar, moved to the Punjab and Haryana High Court, seeking to annul the mayoral election process, citing allegations of fraud and forgery. Despite the High Court’s refusal to grant interim relief, Mr. Kumar escalated the matter to the Supreme Court.
On February 5, the Supreme Court rattled the BJP’s victory by considering the possibility of ordering fresh elections after viewing a video in which Returning Officer Anil Masih was seen allegedly tampering with ballot papers during open court proceedings.
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The next hearing on this contentious issue is scheduled for February 19.
The Chandigarh Municipal Corporation comprises 35 councilors, with the Member of Parliament from Chandigarh, belonging to the BJP, serving as an ex-officio member with voting rights. The BJP holds 14 council seats, followed by the AAP with 13, the Congress with seven, and one seat held by the Shiromani Akali Dal.
