‘Decide on earliest possible date for holding Chandigarh mayoral poll’

CHANDIGARH: Punjab and Haryana High Court on Tuesday asked the Chandigarh administration to come up with the earliest possible date for holding the mayoral poll.

A division bench of Justice Sudhir Singh and Justice Harsh Bunger issued the direction while hearing a petition challenging an order of the Chandigarh deputy commissioner, who is the authority for holding the mayoral poll, postponing the election from January 18 to February 6. The bench also took on record the replies filed by the Union Territory administration and the Chandigarh Municipal Corporation and adjourned the matter to Wednesday.

The mayoral poll, slated to be held on January 18, was deferred to February 6 after Anil Masih — the presiding officer – fell sick, triggering protests from the Congress and AAP councillors. The Congress and the AAP, which have joined hands for the mayoral poll, slammed the BJP, accusing it of not allowing the election, fearing “imminent defeat”.

Senior advocate Gurminder Singh, who is representing the petitioner, said that the court asked the administration’s counsel to get instructions on the earliest date on which the election can be held or the matter will be decided on merit after hearing the arguments of both sides. During the previous hearing on Saturday, the court orally observed that February 6, decided by the Chandigarh administration as the date for holding the poll, was too far away.

The Chandigarh administration’s counsel mentioned during Saturday’s hearing

that the polls were deferred keeping in mind the law-and-order issue.