Daylight murder of democracy by BJP in Chandigarh mayoral elections: Jarnail Singh

Chandigarh, 8 January 2022
Aam Aadmi Party’s (AAP) Punjab and Chandigarh affairs in-charge Jarnail Singh accused the BJP of murdering democracy in the mayoral election of Chandigarh. He said that in the Chandigarh Municipal Corporation elections, the residents of the city had voted the maximum number of 14 seats for the Aam Aadmi Party. AAP’s victory in the mayor’s election was certain, but the BJP deliberately canceled a vote of the Aam Aadmi Party by insulting the ‘fatwa’ of the public and declared its mayor forcibly.
In a press conference held at the party headquarters here today, Jarnail Singh said that the elections for the mayor of Chandigarh clearly showed that there was a clandestine understanding between the BJP and the Congress to defeat AAP in the mayoral elections. After winning only 12 seats in the elections, the BJP inducted a councilor from the Congress party. Somehow BJP’s vote figure reached 14 by including one vote of a Member of Parliament and it equaled AAP’s with 14 votes. But the BJP, by flouting all the rules and regulations, got its candidate appointed as the mayor.
He said that BJP has done a very shameful act by tarnishing the dignity of democracy in the election of the mayor. He also accused the officials of Chandigarh of helping the BJP. While issuing a warning, he said that in order to maintain the fairness of the election of the mayor, the votes should be re-counted and the mayor should be re-elected failing which Aam Aadmi Party will resort to a legal action.
On this occasion, AAP’s Punjab affairs co-in-charge and party MLA from Delhi Raghav Chadha said that today it has become amply clear that BJP had contested the mayor’s election on the basis of ‘secret alliance’ with Congress. The two parties entered into a secret pact to keep AAP out of the mayor’s race and deliberately canceled a vote of an AAP councilor and got elected the mayor of BJP. He said that the BJP and the Congress were all out to prevent the candidate of AAP from becoming the mayor of Chandigarh, that is why under the ‘secret agreement’ the councilors of Congress were not allowed to participate in the mayoral elections. He alleged that AAP councilors were not even allowed to raise objections. He expressed surprise that the person who was made the presiding officer for the mayoral election was a councilor of the BJP. Along with this, the deputy commissioner of Chandigarh, who was overseeing the mayoral election, was also working hard and helping the BJP for electing its mayor.
AAP leaders expressed doubts that these political parties may enter into a similar ‘secret pact’ to prevent AAP from forming the government in Punjab. He cautioned the people of Punjab that in Punjab also BJP, Congress and Akali Dal may, on the same analogy, try unsuccessfully to stop AAP from forming the government under a “clandestine agreement”. He appealed to the people of Punjab to cast their vote wisely, as the vote given to the Congress would only benefit the BJP. AAP will continue its fight against corruption and coercion from streets to elected house. He said that AAP would approach the court and fight the legal battle in the Chandigarh Mayor case. On this occasion, AAP’s Delhi MLA Vinay Mishra was also present.

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