"BJP swallowing democracy": Akhilesh Yadav on Chandigarh Mayoral poll

New Delhi [India], January 30 (ANI): Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Akhilesh Yadav on Tuesday hit out at the BJP, alleging the 'misuse of power' and 'rigging the Chandigarh Mayoral poll' after the ruling party candidate won the poll defeating the INDIA bloc nominee.
In a post on X, Yadav accused the BJP of 'swallowing the democracy'.
"The manner in which BJP has misused its power and rigged the elections by putting pressure on the officials, despite not having majority in the Chandigarh Mayor elections, not only the Election Commission should immediately take cognizance of it, but the Honorable Supreme Court, as the guardian of the Constitution, should immediately take cognizance of the same," Yadav said in a post on X in Hindi.
He also demanded the apex court to cancel the result of the poll that was out today.
"The court should also take action and immediately cancel these results, conduct elections under its supervision, declare the results fair and take punitive action against those guilty of this democratic crime...BJP is swallowing democracy. Such brutality of power will prove to be very fatal for the country and its people," he added.
The BJP's Manoj Sonkar was declared the Mayor of Chandigarh on Tuesday after he won the mayoral polls with 16 votes against the 12 votes bagged by Congress-AAP candidate Kuldeep Tita.
Eight votes, which were declared invalid in the Chandigarh Mayoral polls, have led opposition leaders to raise allegations of rigging with Congress and AAP, attacking the BJP-led central government over the issue.
After the BJP's Manoj won the Chandigarh mayor election, a ruckus broke out in the House.
Congress and AAP councillors accused the BJP of cheating and not following the due electoral process
The Punjab and Haryana High Court on January 24, 2024, announced the decision to hold the Chandigarh Mayoral Elections on January 30 and also vested the responsibility for security in the Chandigarh Police.
Congress' General Secretary of Communication Jairam Ramesh in a post on X alleged that the BJP first 'attempted to delay' the Chandigarh Mayoral Elections, 'anticipating defeat' upon the formalisation of the alliance of INDIA parties in the elections.
"Anticipating defeat upon the formalisation of the alliance of INDIA parties in
Chandigarh, the BJP first attempted to delay the Chandigarh Mayoral Elections. After being forced to conduct the polls by the High Court's intervention, the BJP resorted to hijacking the polls," Jairam Ramesh said.Both Congress and AAP have filed a petition in the Punjab-Haryana High Court highlighting concerns over the integrity of the recently conducted mayoral elections in Chandigarh.
The court will hear the matter on January 31. (ANI)