Mayoral polls: Chandigarh Youth Cong holds protest against presiding officer

Chandigarh, Feb 6 (PTI) The Chandigarh Youth Congress Tuesday held a protest against the alleged rigging in the recently held mayoral polls.

Led by Chandigarh Youth Congress chief Manoj Lubana, the protesters sought action against presiding officer Anil Masih for allegedly tampering with the ballot papers during the January 30 mayoral elections.

"We are holding a protest today against the murder of democracy which took place on January 30," said Lubana.

"Masih should be arrested forthwith," he demanded.

The protesters also burnt an effigy to register their protest against the alleged rigging in the polls.

Appalled by the alleged defacing of ballot papers during the Chandigarh mayoral polls, the Supreme Court on Monday said it was a mockery of democracy and ordered that the ballots and the video of the electoral proceedings be preserved.

Taking note of an AAP councillor's plea alleging wrongdoing during the polls, the court issued notices to the Chandigarh authorities, including the civic body.

A bench of Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud, Justice J B Pardiwala and Justice Manoj Misra expressed annoyance after watching the video of the electoral proceedings and said that, prima facie, the returning officer was defacing the ballot papers.

The BJP on January 30 swept the Chandigarh mayoral polls against the Congress-AAP alliance.

Manoj Sonkar of the BJP had defeated the AAP's Kuldeep Kumar for the mayor's post, polling 16 votes against his rival's 12. Eight votes were declared invalid.

The opposition councillors alleged that the presiding officer had tampered with the ballot papers, a charge rubbished by the BJP. PTI CHS KVK KVK