CJI grills Chandigarh returning officer in alleged ballot paper defacement

New Delhi: The Supreme Court has ordered the prosecution of Anil Masih, the returning officer, in response to allegations of ballot paper defacement during the Chandigarh mayoral election. The court heard a petition on Monday that highlighted alleged election irregularities, notably when three AAP councillors switched allegiance to the BJP, NDTV reported.

Manoj Sonkar of the BJP defeated Kuldeep Kumar of the AAP in the January 30 election. However, controversy ensued when 8 votes were declared invalid, resulting in increased scrutiny and accusations from the opposition.

A video of the Presiding Officer, Anil Masih, a member of the BJP's Minority Cell, purportedly marking the ballot papers of AAP councillors went viral on social media. The Aam Aadmi Party and its allies were outraged, claiming that Masih purposely invalidated their votes, potentially altering election results in favour of the BJP.

The court not only voiced alarm over the alleged defacement but also referred to the current political manoeuvring as "horse-trading," emphasising its gravity.