The High Court will hear the case regarding the postponed Chandigarh mayoral election on January 23, as the administration is required to submit its response claim on that day. The Punjab and Haryana High Court had criticized the Chandigarh administration for the seemingly inexplicable decision to schedule the election for February 6.
The court deemed the prolonged delay unjustifiable and ordered the administration to file a reply on January 23.
Originally slated for January 18, the mayoral election was postponed, leading to a legal dispute. The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and Congress alliance’s mayoral candidate, Kuldeep Kumar Tita, filed a petition against the Chandigarh Deputy Commissioner’s decision to reschedule the elections for February 6.
The postponement was attributed to the unavailability of the Election Officer, Anil Masih, who cited health reasons.
Following the election delay, the High Court intervened, urging the administration to justify the February 6 date. The court raised concerns about the administration’s ability to maintain law and order during the Municipal Corporation (MC) elections.
In response, the court suggested involving a central agency if the UT administration struggled to manage the elections.
In the ongoing legal proceedings, the High Court bench, consisting of Justice Sudhir Singh and Justice Harsh Bangar, issued a notice to the Chandigarh Administration and MC Chandigarh for January 23. The court emphasized the need to address the concerns raised during the hearing.
The political landscape for the Chandigarh Municipal Corporation mayoral election is marked by the alliance between the Congress and AAP. Under this alliance, AAP is contesting the mayoral position, while Congress is vying for the roles of Senior Deputy Mayor and Deputy Mayor.
The Chandigarh Municipal Corporation has a total of 35 councillors, with MPs also holding voting rights. The BJP has 14 councilors, AAP has 13, Congress has 7, and Akali Dal has one. The alliance between Congress and AAP consolidates 20 votes, shaping their collaborative strategy in the election.
Tita has appealed to the High Court to advance the election date to before January 26, contesting the initially scheduled February 6 date. The legal proceedings are ongoing as both parties present their cases before the court.