AAP Candidate Declared Chandigarh Mayor

In a big win for the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), the Supreme Court on Tuesday overturned the results of the Chandigarh mayoral elections in which the Returning Officer invalidated eight ballot votes resulting in the BJP candidate's win.

With the Supreme Court's order, AAP mayoral candidate Kuldeep Kumar, who was also the petitioner in the case, has been declared winner of the election. A three-judge bench headed by Chief Justice DY Chandrachud and including Justices JB Pardiwala and Manoj Misra physically examined the ballot papers and concluded that the eight ballots, which were invalidated by Returning Officer Anil Masih, were valid and were cast in favour of AAP's mayoral candidate Kuldeep Kumar.

The bench noted that Anil Masih made a "deliberate effort to deface eight ballots" cast in favour of the petitioner.The bench initiated criminal proceedings under Section 340 of the CrPC against Anil Masih for making false statements before the court.

On Monday, the Supreme Court ordered the production of the ballot papers and video of the counting of votes in Chandigarh mayoral polls.

The BJP swept the January 30 Chandigarh mayoral polls, retaining all three posts, and defeating the Congress-AAP alliance. The AAP then moved the Supreme Court demanding fresh polls, accusing Returning Officer Anil Masih of “fraud and forgery” in the election process.