Truth will triumph: Mann welcomes SC's observations on Chandigarh mayoral polls

Mohali: Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann Tuesday welcomed the Supreme Court's observations on the alleged rigging in the Chandigarh mayoral polls, saying the truth will triumph.

Mann's reaction came a day after the top court expressed annoyance after watching a video of the electoral proceedings during the Chandigarh mayoral polls.

"To save the country's democracy, we had to move the Supreme Court," said Mann while replying to a question on the apex court observations.

He said he welcomed the SC's observations.

"We expect that there will be a victory of truth," he asserted.

Mann said if the video of the poll proceedings is shown to a common man, he will ask how votes are counted as he was referring to the alleged 'tampering' with ballot papers by the presiding officer during the Chandigarh mayoral polls.

Appalled by the alleged defacing of ballot papers during the mayoral polls, the Supreme Court on Monday said it was a mockery of democracy and ordered that the ballots and the video of the electoral proceedings be preserved.

Taking note of an AAP councillor's plea alleging wrongdoing during the polls, the apex court issued notices to the Chandigarh authorities, including the civic body.

A bench of Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud, Justice J B Pardiwala and Justice Manoj Misra expressed annoyance after watching the video of the electoral proceedings and said that, prima facie, the returning officer was defacing the ballot papers.

The AAP on Monday, while reacting to the top court's observations, said that it was a 'tight slap' on the face of the BJP.

The BJP on January 30 swept the Chandigarh mayoral polls against the AAP-Congress alliance.

Manoj Sonkar of the BJP had defeated AAP's Kuldeep Kumar for the mayor's post, polling 16 votes against his rival's 12. Eight votes were declared invalid.

The opposition councillors alleged that the presiding officer had tampered with the ballot papers, a charge rubbished by the BJP.

The AAP moved the Punjab and Haryana High Court and sought fresh elections under the supervision of a retired judge but the court refused to grant any interim relief.