On Tuesday, Punjab Chief Minister and AAP leader Bhagwant Mann issued a scathing rebuke against Anil Masih, the Presiding Officer of the Chandigarh mayoral election, denouncing him as "spineless". This condemnation stemmed from the release of a video by the AAP and Congress purportedly showing Masih engaging in the manipulation of ballot papers.
Reflecting on the postponement of the polls due to Masih's reported illness, the Punjab Chief Minister remarked, "On January 18, he claimed to have a spinal issue, citing it as the reason for his absence (from the election). Today, it appears he was accurate in his assessment. In reality, he lacks a backbone. Had he possessed any semblance of integrity, he would have conducted a fair count of the votes."
The emergence of the video featuring Masih coincided with the victory of BJP candidate Manoj Kumar Sonkar in the closely watched mayoral election. However, the election outcome stirred controversy as eight votes cast for INDIA bloc candidates were invalidated. Sonkar secured 16 votes out of the total 36 cast, while Kuldeep Singh of the INDIA bloc garnered 12 votes, following the exclusion of the contested eight votes.
Mann decried the invalidation of the eight votes as a "theft" of democracy, alleging a disparity in voting knowledge between the opposing factions, stating, "All 16 on their side know how to vote, while eight on our side don't even grasp the process!"
Accusing Masih of being affiliated with the BJP minority wing, Mann asserted, "They appointed their own party member as the Presiding Officer." He further criticized Masih, contending that the Presiding Officer merely executed directives from higher authorities.
The significance of Tuesday's election lay in its representation as a litmus test for the INDIA bloc, with the Congress and AAP forming an alliance to challenge the BJP's longstanding dominance over the mayor's office for the past eight years. While the AAP fielded its candidate for the mayor's position, Congress contenders vied for the senior deputy mayor and deputy mayor roles.
