Chandigarh Mayor: The Supreme Court on Tuesday affirmed that Kuldeep Kumar of the Aam Aadmi Party is the rightful winner of the last month’s Chandigarh mayoral election. This conclusion follows weeks of controversy stemming from the actions of the Returning Officer, Anil Masih, who was captured on camera intentionally invalidating and disregarding eight votes cast in Kumar’s favor.
Masih now faces potential contempt of court charges, as the Supreme Court has initiated proceedings against him with a ‘show cause’ notice. The court has strongly rebuked Masih, a former BJP Minority Cell member, cautioning him against any falsehoods presented to the court.
If prosecuted, as indicated by the Supreme Court in a previous hearing where his actions were deemed a “mockery of democracy,” it would mark a significant milestone in independent India, serving as a deterrent against tampering with election results ahead of the Lok Sabha polls.
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This landmark ruling not only validates the victory of AAP and Congress, who contested jointly in the election under the INDIA bloc, but also serves as a boost for the alliance amidst internal discord over seat-sharing and election preparation.
During today’s proceedings led by Chief Justice DY Chandrachud, the Supreme Court examined the eight discarded ballot papers. Masih had asserted that these ballots were “defaced” by the councillors themselves, warranting their exclusion from the count. According to electoral law, ballots with any markings identifying the voter or otherwise defaced are considered invalid.
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Masih’s legal representative, senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi, defended his actions by pointing out minor marks on the ballots and contending that Masih’s assessment deemed them invalid, emphasizing his client’s integrity in the process.
