Chandigarh: SC to examine ballot papers, videos of counting process today

The Supreme Court of India will examine the ballot papers of Chandigarh mayoral polls and video recording of the counting process on Tuesday after raising deep concerns over horse trading and dismissing fresh polls. The Bharatiya Janata Party won the Chandigarh mayoral polls on January 30 defeating the AAP-Congress alliance candidate after the returning officer declared invalid eight votes of the coalition partners, drawing accusations of tampering with ballots. A bench comprising Chief Justice DY Chandrachud and Justices JB Pardiwala and Manoj Misra said, “We are deeply concerned about the horse-trading which is taking place.” They directed the registrar general of the Punjab and Haryana High Court to depute a judicial officer to bring the records safely to New Delhi and present them before it on Tuesday. In its order passed after a brief hearing, the bench said, “We direct that the ballot papers, which have been placed in the custody of the Registrar General of the high court will be produced tomorrow morning before this court at 10:30 am by a judicial officer to be nominated by the Registrar General….” The top court also directed the administration to make arrangements necessary to ensure the safe transit of the judicial officer nominated by the registrar general in pursuance of its order, as per PTI reports.