HT Digital,
New Delhi, Feb 19: The Supreme Court has directed the presentation of ballot papers and vote counting video from the Chandigarh mayoral elections by Tuesday 2 pm. In addition, the court criticised the Returning Officer overseeing the elections, suggesting prosecution for ‘defacing ballot papers’.
In response to a petition claiming misconduct in the election, the bench led by Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud requested the deputy commissioner to appoint an unbiased new returning officer. The bench expressed concern over alleged ‘horse-trading’ in the Chandigarh assembly.
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The BJP emerged victorious in the January 30 Chandigarh mayoral elections, securing all three positions, and defeating the Congress-AAP alliance. Following this, AAP approached the Supreme Court demanding new elections, accusing Returning Officer Anil Masih of ‘fraud and forgery’ in the electoral process.
A video showing Anil Masih marking ballot papers while looking at the CCTV, raised questions about the election’s integrity.
The Supreme Court had summoned Anil Masih to appear in person before the bench. When questioned about the video and his actions, Masih said he was merely marking the defaced ballot papers and wasn’t doing anything wrong. However, the bench questioned his actions and concluded that he should be prosecuted.
