Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Priyanka Chaturvedi took a swipe at BJP chief JP Nadda after the Supreme Court set aside the Chandigarh mayoral election outcome initially won by the BJP. Chaturvedi pointed to the irony of BJP’s premature celebrations, citing their initial win as an attempt to subvert democratic processes. She emphasized that despite the obstacles, the INDIA bloc secured victory. On January 30, Nadda had extolled the BJP unit’s win, lauding the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and castigating the INDI Alliance. However, the judiciary intervened following a petition by the AAP candidate alleging manipulation in the electoral process.
The apex court vindicated the AAP’s Kuldeep Kumar, who had contested the authenticity of the results due to invalidated votes. Chief Justice DY Chandrachud and his bench accused Returning Officer Anil Masih of a deliberate act to deface ballots, instituting criminal proceedings against him. Through their ruling, the court not only reinstated Kumar as the victor but spotlighted the procedural misconduct.
Congress MP Rahul Gandhi and party president Mallikarjun Kharge didn’t hesitate to castigate the BJP, suggesting that the mayoral poll incident was part of a larger scheme to undermine democratic foundations. They urged that unity is crucial in face of the upcoming 2024 Lok Sabha Elections. BJP’s Manoj Sonkar had originally been declared the winner but resigned following the controversy and subsequent defections from AAP to BJP. Gandhi’s comments followed the court’s decision to declare the alliance candidate the rightful winner of the Chandigarh mayoral election, demonstrating the judiciary’s role in maintaining electoral integrity.