Chandigarh Mayor Election: Punjab & Haryana High Court Directs Administration To Hold Mayoral Polls On January 30

Chandigarh: The Punjab and Haryana High Court on Wednesday ordered the Chandigarh administration to hold the mayoral polls on January 30.

The order of the bench of Justice Sudhir Singh and Justice Harsh Bunger came following the hearing of a petition filed by an Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) councillor Kuldeep Kumar against the administration’s decision to put off the said election to February 6.

Polls postponed due to political riff

It may be recalled that a high drama prevailed on January 18 when the said polls were scheduled to be held but were postponed after the presiding officer reported ``ill’’. The AAP and Congress which had joined hands for the said elections so as to oust BJP, accused the saffron party of not allowing polls as its defeat was imminent. The BJP rebuked the charges and alleged a hand of the alliance behind postponement as it was susceptible of cross-voting despite alliance.

AAP councillors move HC demanding immediate polls

However, the AAP councillors moved the high court for immediate polls, though the administration announced the next date as February 6 as it was busy with other events including the R-Day before that.

For the record, in the 35-member MC House, the AAP and Congress together have 20 members, while the BJP which has been ruling the Chandigarh municipal corporation (MC) for the past eight years, has 15, in the high stake poll.