Claims of Electoral Malpractices Mar Chandigarh Mayoral Polls: CM Mann’s Stance

Claims of Electoral Malpractices Mar Chandigarh Mayoral Polls: CM Mann’s Stance

Chandigarh’s political atmosphere was charged with allegations on January 30 as Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann termed the day the “darkest in the history of Indian democracy,” pointing to the conduct during the Chandigarh mayoral elections as evidence. During a press briefing at Punjab Bhawan, CM Mann condemned the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), accusing it of subverting the electoral process by rigging the vote count. Emphasizing the gravity of the accusation, he contended the incident was an unprecedented ‘murder of democracy’, implying that such actions cast a long shadow over the sanctity of future national polls.

Mann drew parallels between the electoral improprieties experienced on Republic Day month and previous allegations of BJP’s involvements in overturning elected governments across various Indian states. The principal accusation centered on the handling of 36 crucial votes, a process Mann claims was compromised to favor BJP interests, thereby undermining voter trust in electronic voting machines (EVMs) and the democratic process at large. The chief minister directed particular ire at the presiding officer of the mayoral election, who, according to Mann, operated under BJP directives and committed an act tantamount to sedition by betraying the constitutional framework laid out by Dr. B.R. Ambedkar, one of the chief architects of the Indian Constitution.

Mann’s assertion was that the election irregularities were a tell-tale sign of a wider assault on democratic principles, a harbinger of potential manipulations in the upcoming Lok Sabha polls. These events, as per Mann, not only sully the legacy of figures like Dr. Ambedkar but threaten the very core of democratic rights in India. Faced with such concerns, the chief minister vowed to seek judicial recourse to challenge the election results, determined to uphold what he deems the jeopardized democracy. This controversy has sown seeds of doubt about the impartiality of elections under the current government, as per Mann, and raises questions about the future of fair electoral practices in the world’s largest democracy.