The Punjab and Haryana High Court invalidated the Chandigarh administration’s notification for mayoral elections set for January 24, directing new polls after January 29. AAP councillor Kuldeep Dhalor’s petition argued for a full term and greater transparency. The court agreed the current mayor’s term should extend until January 29, emphasizing proper scheduling.
Chandigarh: The Punjab and Haryana High Court on Monday (Jan 20th) invalidated the Chandigarh administration’s notification for holding mayoral elections of the Chandigarh Municipal Corporation on January 24. The court directed the administration to issue a fresh notification, scheduling the polls after January 29.
The bench, comprising Justices Sureshwar Thakur and Vikas Suri, issued the directions in response to a petition filed by Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) councillor and sitting mayor Kuldeep Kumar Dhalor. The petition requested that the mayoral polls be conducted in February, allowing the mayor to complete a full one-year term, and also called for transparency in the election process.
“If the mayoral polls take place on January 24, the petitioner will get less than a one-year term as he was elected to the post on February 20 last year after the Supreme Court set aside the January 30, 2024 polls,”
Dhalor’s counsel, Ferry Sofat, explained.
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The court agreed with this argument, stating that the mayor’s term should run until January 29.
The petition also sought to replace the current secret ballot system with voting by show of hands for greater transparency. While the court did not issue a directive on this demand, it asked the Chandigarh administration to reconsider the proposal.
The high court observed that since the previous mayoral elections were held on January 30 last year, the tenure of the current mayor should be calculated accordingly.
Dhalor was declared mayor of the Chandigarh Municipal Corporation on February 20, 2024, by the Supreme Court, which overturned the results of the January 30 elections. The earlier elections had seen a BJP candidate declared the winner amidst allegations of ballot tampering by the then presiding officer, Anil Masih.
The Chandigarh administration had initially issued a notification on January 7, scheduling the polls for the mayor, senior deputy mayor, and deputy mayor posts on January 24, with January 20 set as the deadline for filing nominations.
Following the high court’s ruling, the administration is expected to issue a fresh notification soon, ensuring compliance with the new directives.
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