Chandigarh mayor polls row: India SC denies fresh polls but AAP’s troubles are far from over
Indian Supreme Court (File photo)
Indian Supreme Court on Monday (Feb 19) issued scathing remarks in the Chandigarh mayor polls row, demanding returning officer Anil Masih be prosecuted for interfering with the election process in the northern city.
The court ordered the result to be declared from present ballot papers, instead of ordering a fresh election. The court stated it will ask Chandigarh administration to appoint a neutral presiding officer and the counting will take place under the watch of a judicial officer nominated by the Punjab and Haryana Court.
A bench comprising Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud, Justices JB Pardiwala and Manoj Misra directed that the ballot papers be produced before the Court Tuesday (Feb 20) at 10.30 AM to ascertain if the votes can be deduced from them.
The court had earlier asked Masih why he put ‘X’ marks on ballot papers, to which the former presiding officer said they were already ‘defaced.’
How controversy erupted in Chandigarh mayor polls
The mayoral polls took place on January 30, and were won by the Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) after Masih declared eight votes of the opposition as invalid.
)
The Royals enter the Doctor Who universe: King Charles and Queen Camilla beam into Commonwealth Games in TARDIS
)
Ranbir Kapoor-Yash's Ramayana trailer postponed, producer cites Sony Pictures deal as reason
)
India to test fire three Kusha long-range surface-to-air missiles | Gravitas
)
He predicted COVID-19 and 2008 economic crisis, was labeled fearmonger. Now he has another dire warning
)
Ukrainian drone wrecks irreplaceable Russian bomber 800km inside the country, satellite images show it halved
)
Scientists decode rare metal that allows China's radar satellite to spy over Asia Pacific
)
ICC ODI Rankings: Joe Root jumps big, India trio close in on No. 1 spot
)
'Most important foundation': Dharmendra Pradhan's long note on 'school education' amid calls for his resignation
)
NEET Protests riddled with misinformation? Delhi Police block 480 Pakistan-based handles spreading 'fake news' since Operation Sindoor
)
Delhi Police chief gets NSA detention powers but force denies link to CJP protests
)
Sonam Wangchuk's connection with George Soros and Ford Foundation explained!
)
Accidental overdose: UK inquest rules out foul play in Saudi Prince’s London death
)
Russia-Ukraine war escalates| Zelensky pushes patriot missile production as Black sea crisis deepens
)
'George Soros playbook': Understanding the foreign funding network around Sonam Wangchuk
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
New Friday OTT releases (July 24, 2026): Musafir Cafe, Adarsh Baal Vidyalaya, Pallichattambi- Watch these 6 titles on Netflix, Prime Video and more
)
Major defence breakthrough: DRDO test-fires Kusha LRSAM system, hits simulated target
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
Why the S-400 fires its missiles straight up into the air
)
Will India switch to plastic currency? Why RBI wants to replace paper currency, and what it means for your wallet | WION Decodes
)
'Oh my god!' Orca deliberately rams into sunfish so hard that it exploded. For food or fun?
)
Commonwealth Games 2026: India's medal hopes suffer after doping woes
)
FIFA 2026 | 'I am truly sorry': Argentina's Enzo Fernandez, who get red card in final, reacts to loss
)
Man with babyish face spends Rs 10 lakh on beard transplant to be taken seriously at work
)
Iran flew IRGC men, advisers and military gear to Yemen, bolstered Houthis for Red Sea blockade: Sources
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
Why US fighter jets use seamless bubble canopies compared to Russian jets
)
Pakistan army chief used private oil venture to keep Iran attacks off Saudi Arabia: Report
)
‘Stole the show’: Young man’s uncanny imitation of Trump leaves internet stunned | WATCH
)
Jana Nayagan box office collection: Here's how much CM Vijay's political drama mints on day 1
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
Why the specialized paint on an S-400 costs thousands of dollars per truck
'Sonam, it’s done, bro. Don’t extend this': Salman Khan now urges protesting students to go home, offers Wangchuk home cooked food to end fast
)
The BJP candidate secured 16 votes whereas the joint candidate of Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and Congress originally secured 20.
Those eight dismissed ballot papers became the point of contention between the two sides.
Troubles for AAP far from over
However, just a day before the hearing, three of AAP’s councillors - Poonam Devi, Neha and Gurcharan Kala - joined the BJP.
Watch: India Farmers' Protest | Three union ministers to meet with farmers in Chandigarh
The new addition takes BJP’s total tally to 19, including 14 BJP’s own councillors, three from AAP, one from Shiromani Akali Dal and BJP's Chandigarh MP Kirron Kher.
Chandigarh Municipal Corporation has 35 members.
Supreme Court’s previous observation
On the previous hearing, the SC heavily came down upon the presiding officer and blasted him for ‘murdering democracy.’
"Is this the behaviour of a returning officer? He looks at the camera, and defaces the ballot obviously," the CJI had said after viewing a video of the counting.
The AAP and Congress described the court's observations as a "tight slap" for the BJP.
(With inputs from agencies)