The Supreme Court has ordered recounting of votes in the Chandigarh mayoral election. The apex court ruled that eight ballots which were invalidated by the returning officer were declared valid. These eight votes were cast for the AAP candidate. “We will direct that the votes at the poll shall be recounted and these 8 shall be treated as valid and results be declared on the basis of that,” CJI said.
A bench comprising Chief Justice DY Chandrachud and justices JB Pardiwala and Manoj Misra was hearing the plea of defeated AAP candidate for the election. The BJP won the Chandigarh mayoral polls on January 30 defeating the comfortably placed AAP-Congress alliance candidate after the returning officer declared as invalid eight votes of the coalition partners, drawing accusations of tampering with ballots.
Manoj Sonkar of the BJP defeated Kuldeep Kumar after polling 16 votes against his rival’s 12 to bag the mayor’s post. Sonkar, however, resigned subsequently, while three AAP councillors defected to the BJP.
This is a developing story.
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Chandigarh mayoral polls: SC orders recounting, says eight ‘defaced’ votes valid
