The Punjab and Haryana High Court on Monday (January 20, 2025) set aside the Chandigarh administration’s notice to hold the mayoral polls of the Chandigarh Municipal Corporation on January 24.
A bench of Justices Sureshwar Thakur and Vikas Suri directed the UT administration to issue a fresh notification to hold mayoral polls after January 29.
The directions came in a petition filed by Aam Aadmi Party councilor and sitting mayor of Chandigarh Kuldeep Kumar Dhalor, who wanted mayoral polls to be held in February to complete his one-year term, without seeking transparency measures in the elections. process.
In this petition, the petitioner also demanded that voting in the mayoral election be done by show of hands instead of secret ballot.
After hearing the case at the High Court on Monday, Mr. Dhalor Ferry Sofat said the request was sent if the mayoral polls take place on January 24, he will have less than one year as he was elected to this position on February 20. last year after the Supreme Court set aside the January 30, 2024 election.
Advocate Sofat said the Supreme Court has set aside the notice to hold mayoral polls on January 24, and directed the Chandigarh administration to hold the elections after January 29.
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The lawyer said the court saw that since the mayoral election was held on January 30 last year, the term of the mayor will be counted until January 29.
Mr. Dhalor was declared mayor of Chandigarh Municipal Corporation by the Supreme Court on February 20 last year after annulling the result of the mayoral poll in which the BJP candidate emerged victorious.
The incumbent Anil Masih was accused of tampering with the 2024 mayoral election.
Regarding the issue of voting by raising hands, Sofat said the court has asked the administration to look into this demand.
The Chandigarh administration on January 7 issued a notice to hold polls for the posts of mayor, senior deputy mayor and deputy mayor of the Chandigarh municipal corporation on January 24.
The last day to submit proposals was January 20.
Published – January 21, 2025 01:18 am IST