BJP's Chandigarh Mayor Manoj Sonkar resigns amidst controversy; 3 AAP councillors switch to BJP

Chandigarh, February 18: In a recent development in the controversy surrounding the Chandigarh mayoral election, BJP's Mayor Manoj Sonkar tendered his resignation on late Sunday evening, just a day before the scheduled Supreme Court hearing on the matter.

Jatinder Malhotra, the Chandigarh BJP chief, cited moral reasons for Manoj Sonkar's resignation and pointed out that the AAP and Congress were creating a hostile environment by making unfounded allegations of vote tampering. He added that with the upcoming fresh elections, the public would determine the majority. According to sources, a meeting involving senior BJP office-bearers and the party high command took place in Delhi on Saturday, leading to the decision for Sonkar to step down.

Notably, the Supreme Court had scrutinised the contentious Chandigarh Mayoral election, strongly rebuking the Returning Officer and vowing to prevent the "murder of democracy." The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), which had approached the court, lost the election to the BJP despite having the majority, as eight votes were deemed invalid. 

Expressing indignation after watching a video of the counting, Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud remarked, "Is this the behaviour of a returning officer? He defaces the ballot on camera blatantly." He highlighted instances where the officer mishandled ballots based on their markings, stating that the Supreme Court is closely monitoring the situation. CJI Chandrachud asserted the court's commitment to preserving the integrity of the election process, a vital stabilising force in the country.

AAP accused the officer, Anil Masih, of tampering with ballot papers, urging his arrest. The party argued that the cancellation of eight votes would have secured their victory. Additionally, AAP's ally, Congress, alleged that BJP workers tore up ballot papers and prevented their agent from observing the process.

Three AAP councillors join BJP

Adding further complexity to the situation, three councillors from the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), Poonam Devi, Neha Musavat, and Gurcharan Kala, have joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). This move comes as the AAP has approached the Supreme Court regarding the Chandigarh mayoral election, while the three councillors have already been in contact with the BJP.

With this development, the BJP now commands 17 councillors instead of the initial 14, and an additional vote from a party MP. Meanwhile, two female councillors from the Aam Aadmi Party were reportedly out of the city on Friday evening, though discussions with senior party leaders occurred on Saturday. One councillor mentioned marriage plans, while another hinted at discontent within the party.

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