"AAP, Cong attempted to subvert election process": BJP leader Tarun Chugh on Chandigarh mayoral polls

Chandigarh (Punjab) [India], January 31 : Coming down heavily on AAP and Congress for creating a ruckus during the election of the mayor of the Chandigarh Municipal Corporation, BJP national general secretary Tarun Chugh on Wednesday alleged that the party's aggression was an attempt to subvert the election process.
Chugh said it was a pre-planned exercise of the two parties, which failed miserably to stitch an alliance in any other part of the country. He said nowhere in the country are the two parties together, but in Chandigarh, they seemed to be in a panic to grab the post of mayor by foul means.
"The two parties demonstrated sheer political opportunism and exhibited their political aggression in their attempt to subvert the election process," he said.
"The BJP has been winning the post of mayor for the last three years without any controversy. But this time the two parties joined hands to create confusion and violence in the electoral process, which must be strongly condemned," Chugh added.
The BJP leader said that the entire election process was carried out in a fair and free manner. It was shameful on the part of the AAP and Congress councillors to have resorted to violence and not let the returning officer fairly perform his task.
Meanwhile, Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann on Wednesday said that the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and Congress will move to the Supreme Court regarding the Chandigarh municipal poll results.
He also called the Chandigarh mayoral poll "an example of the murder of democracy."
"Whatever happened yesterday is an example of the murder of democracy. The budget is coming tomorrow; let's see what Punjab gets. Aam Aadmi Party Punjab and Congress will move to the Supreme Court against the mayoral election", CM Mann said.
The members of the Youth Congress also staged a protest outside the mayor's office in Chandigarh on Wednesday.
There was a rift between the protestors and the police at the spot.
Youth Congress workers were heard chanting the slogan 'Bhrastachar band karo' (Stop the corruption).
However, the police detained the protestors after a while.
A hearing was also held today in the Punjab Haryana High Court regarding tampering with the results of the Chandigarh Mayor election. In the Punjab Haryana High Court, Kuldeep Kumar, who was the mayoral candidate from the AAP and Congress, was being represented by Advocate General of Punjab Gurminder Gary. Advocate Anil Mehta was representing Chandigarh Municipal Corporation.
After hearing this entire matter, the Punjab Haryana High Court gave three weeks' time to Chandigarh Municipal Corporation and Chandigarh Administration to file their reply in this matter. The next hearing on this matter will be on February 26.
The BJP's Manoj Sonkar was declared the Mayor of Chandigarh on Tuesday after he won the mayoral polls with 16 votes against the 12 votes bagged by Congress-AAP candidate Kuldeep Tita. Eight votes were declared invalid.
Eight votes, which were declared invalid in the Chandigarh Mayoral polls, have led opposition leaders to raise allegations of rigging with Congress and AAP, attacking the BJP-led central government over the issue.