cong-aap-joint-protest-in-chandigarh-against-mayoral-poll-tampering

The Congress and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) united in a joint protest on Wednesday, alleging tampering with ballots and denouncing what they claimed to be a "murder of democracy."

 

Councillors from the AAP and Congress convened near the Sector 17 police station in Chandigarh, vehemently shouting slogans against the BJP. 

 

The protest aimed to address concerns over the mayoral polls that transpired on Tuesday, where the BJP secured all three top posts, dealing a setback to the Congress-AAP alliance.

 

The focal point of the protest centred on the demand for action against presiding officer Anil Masih, whom the protesters accused of tampering with ballot papers.

 

The alleged tampering led to the declaration of eight votes as invalid, sparking outrage and claims of a threat to democracy.

 

AAP leader S S Ahluwalia asserted, "If there is any threat to democracy in the country, it is from the BJP." 

 

The protest witnessed the participation of senior Congress leader Pawan Kumar Bansal, Chandigarh Congress president H S Lucky, and several AAP leaders.

 

Heavy police force deployment and barricades near the police station underscored the intensity of the protest, as the demonstrators sought to lodge a police complaint in connection with the mayoral polls.

 

In the contested mayoral election, BJP candidate Manoj Sonkar secured victory over AAP's Kuldeep Kumar, polling 16 votes against the rival's 12, with eight votes declared invalid.

 

The BJP's dominance extended to the positions of senior deputy mayor and deputy mayor, with their nominees Kuljit Sandhu and Rajinder Sharma securing 16 votes each.

 

Opposition councillors, particularly those from the Congress and AAP, created a ruckus in the Chandigarh Municipal Corporation House during the announcement of the mayoral result.

 

Expressing dissatisfaction and alleging tampering, they boycotted the subsequent elections for the posts of senior deputy mayor and deputy mayor.

 

The BJP swiftly rejected the allegations of tampering with ballot papers, intensifying the political friction surrounding the election outcome.

 

As the Congress and AAP join forces in their protest, the aftermath of the Chandigarh mayoral polls continues to unravel against a backdrop of conflicting claims and growing political tensions.