Chandigarh mayoral polls case: AAP chief Kejriwal thanks SC, says it saved democracy

New Delhi, Feb 20 (PTI) The Supreme Court has saved democracy in these “difficult times”, Delhi Chief Minister and AAP national convener Arvind Kejriwal said on Tuesday, thanking the court for its decision in the Chandigarh mayoral polls case.

Earlier in the day, the top court overturned the result of the polls in which the BJP candidate had emerged an unlikely winner, and declared the defeated AAP-Congress alliance candidate Kuldeep Kumar as the new Chandigarh mayor.

Terming the decision historic, Kejriwal at a press conference said that this was big victory for the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA).

“The message of this poll is that if INDIA bloc parties remain united and work strategically, they can defeat the BJP,” he said.

The INDIA bloc has been formed by opposition parties to take on the BJP in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections and it includes the Congress, the AAP, the TMC and the Samajwadi Party among others.

The Supreme Court had directed recounting of votes polled in the Chandigarh mayoral elections and declaration of result after considering the eight “defaced” ballots that were declared invalid by the returning officer.

Hitting out at the BJP, Kejriwal said if it can “steal” eight votes out of 36 in the Chandigarh mayoral polls, what will it do in the upcoming elections in which 90 crore votes will be polled.

“Thank you SC for saving democracy in these difficult times,” he said in a post on X earlier Tuesday.

The BJP won the Chandigarh mayoral polls on January 30 defeating the comfortably placed AAP-Congress alliance candidate after the returning officer declared as invalid eight votes of the coalition partners, drawing accusations of tampering with ballots.

Manoj Sonkar of the BJP defeated Kuldeep Kumar after polling 16 votes against his rival’s 12 to bag the mayor’s post. Sonkar, however, resigned subsequently, while three AAP councillors defected to the BJP.