Supreme Court Criticizes Chandigarh Mayor Election Process

The Supreme Court has criticized the conduct of the presiding officer overseeing the Chandigarh mayoral elections, accusing him of defacing ballot papers, and ordered that the entire election process including ballot papers and videography be preserved. The Court also deferred a meeting of the Chandigarh Municipal Corporation and criticized the Punjab and Haryana High Court's refusal to postpone the election. The elections had been marred by controversy after the returning officer declared 8 opposition votes invalid and declared the BJP candidate as the winner. The Court's strong stance against the presiding officer's actions reflected concerns about the integrity of the election process and the preservation of democracy.