The Supreme Court has declared AAP councillor Kuldeep Kumar as the Mayor of Chandigarh Municipal Corporation, setting aside the election of the BJP candidate as declared by the Returning Officer. The ruling has been hailed by the Opposition INDIA bloc leaders as a victory for democracy. Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge and Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav have criticized BJP’s alleged manipulation in the mayoral election, while AAP National Convenor and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has welcomed the top court verdict.
Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge stated, “The Supreme Court has saved democracy from the fangs of an autocratic BJP, which resorted to dirty election manipulation. The institutional sabotage in the #ChandigarhMayorPolls is only a tip of the iceberg in Modi-Shah’s devious conspiracy to trample democracy.”
Reacting to the development, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav said, “Now no one will trust the BJP, which was caught stealing red-handed in the Chandigarh mayoral elections.”
AAP National Convenor and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal expressed, “Truth may be troubled but not defeated. The Constitution and democracy ultimately won the Chandigarh Mayor elections. Many thanks to the Honorable Supreme Court.”
The apex court was dealing with a plea filed by INDIA bloc’s mayoral candidate Kuldeep Kumar accusing Returning Officer Anil Masih of allegedly ‘defacing the ballots’ during the Chandigarh mayoral polls held on January 30. The court ordered prosecution of Returning Officer Masih for ‘misdemeanour’ and initiated contempt proceedings against him.
The Supreme Court’s decision to declare AAP councillor Kuldeep Kumar as the Mayor of Chandigarh Municipal Corporation has sparked widespread reactions from political leaders and has drawn attention to the alleged manipulation in the mayoral election process. The ruling has been seen as a significant victory for democracy and as a testament to the impartiality of the judicial system.
