Jan 30 ‘darkest day’ in politics, says Punjab CM on Chandigarh Mayoral poll

Chandigarh: Stating that they would go to the court and challenge the Chandigarh Mayoral election, Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann said on Tuesday that January 30 will be remembered as the ‘darkest day’ in the annals of Indian polity as the BJP-led Union government has murdered democracy during the polls.

Interacting with the media here, the Chief Minister said this moment would be remembered as a black day in the history of democracy.

"Unfortunately, it is the same month when Republic Day is celebrated in the nation but the BJP chose the same for undermining the Constitution of the country," he said.

In a major setback to INDIA bloc's Congress-AAP alliance, the ruling BJP retained the Chandigarh Mayoral seat for the ninth time in a row after winning the post by just four votes.

The AAP-Congress alliance lost the seat despite having maximum councillors.

Mann said this is a chronic habit of the BJP, as it had earlier toppled democratically-elected governments in Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka, Goa, Maharashtra and other states.

The Chief Minister asked if the counting of 36 votes can’t be conducted in a free and fair manner, how the polls and counting of votes for the entire country will take place impartially.

He said these leaders would loot ballot papers from the voters for their vested interests, adding that EVM machines have already been found in their homes.

Mann said democracy is not moving in the right direction, adding that it is not in the interest of the common man and the country.

The Chief Minister said the BJP had deliberately appointed the head of its minority wing as the presiding officer in these polls.

He said the “spineless presiding officer” acted as per the whims and fancies of his masters to ensure victory of the BJP nominee.

Mann also said the presiding officer jeopardised the constitutional process envisaged by B.R. Ambedkar in the Indian Constitution, thereby backstabbing the entire nation.

The Chief Minister said the presiding officer must be booked under sedition charges for deceiving the Constitution, adding that the presiding officer had deliberately counted the votes in the absence of polling agents just to ensure victory for the BJP candidate.

Mann said this is unprecedentedly unfortunate as democracy has once again muzzled for the sake of the saffron party.

The Chief Minister said the worry is not that BJP has hijacked the democratic process in Chandigarh, but the real problem is that it will divest the people of their democratic rights in the ensuing Lok Sabha polls too.

Mann said they will go to the court and challenge the election in which all the democratic norms were set aside.

The Chief Minister also said that it is beyond doubt that there is no democracy in the country as the BJP-led government has hijacked the polls. This has further raised doubts that the upcoming polls across the country will not be free and fair, he said.

The Chief Minister said the BJP nominee was well aware in advance that he would win and that’s why he was sitting near the chair, which he occupied promptly.

He also said the presiding officer came late because he was directed to act in such a manner.