The Punjab and Haryana High Court has instructed the Chandigarh administration and municipal corporation to inform the court about the earliest feasible date for conducting the mayoral polls. The court set a deadline of January 23 for this information. The decision came during the hearing of a plea from Kuldeep Dhalor, the Aam Aadmi Party’s mayoral candidate, challenging the UT administration's decision to postpone the election until February 6 and demanding an immediate poll within 24 hours. The plea also sought the appointment of a court commissioner to ensure fair elections.
UT senior standing counsel Anil Mehta informed the court that police would be occupied with various events in the city leading up to the consecration ceremony of the Ram Temple in Ayodhya on January 22, followed by arrangements for Republic Day celebrations.
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This marks the third plea from AAP and the fourth from the Congress-AAP alliance regarding the crucial mayoral elections initially scheduled for January 18. The election was deferred due to the presiding officer's ill-health, leading to accusations from the opposition of political bias and an attempt to give the ruling BJP more time to secure support.
Dhalor's plea argues that the administration's order to defer the election until February 6 was illegal and arbitrary. It contends that this move, allegedly aimed at helping a particular political group, obstructs due legal process and creates unwarranted hurdles. Dhalor emphasizes that concerns about law and order do not justify the postponement, and the entire process has been marred by obstructions.
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