Chandigarh mayoral polls: Video shows returning officer ‘signing’ on ballot papers

The controversy surrounding the election of the Chandigarh mayor has taken a fresh turn with a new video surfacing on social media that clearly shows the presiding officer Anil Masih writing on the ballot papers. It is a top angle video taken from a CCTV camera above, and Masih repeatedly looks directly at the camera as he handles the ballot papers.

The video was shared on X by Swati Maliwal, Rajya Sabha MP of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and former chairperson of the Delhi Commission for Women (DCW).

The new video went viral on social media after a scathing condemnation of the presiding officer’s behaviour by the Supreme Court itself on Monday (February 5), with the Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud calling it a “mockery of democracy”.

The Supreme Court bench also comprising Justices JB Pardiwala and Manoj Misra, after watching another video of the electoral proceedings that was presented as evidence, said that prima facie, the returning officer was “defacing” the ballot papers.

“This is a mockery of democracy. We are appalled by what has happened. We will not allow democracy to be murdered like this,” said the CJI.

He also said that the court would order fresh elections if it was not satisfied with the purity of the poll process.

The bench ordered that the ballot papers and the video recordings of the proceedings be preserved. It has also summoned the presiding officer Anil Masih to appear personally in the court during the next hearing in the case scheduled for February 19.

The AAP moved the apex court challenging the order of the Punjab and Haryana High Court refusing to grant interim relief to the party asking for fresh mayoral polls in Chandigarh. The AAP had demanded fresh polls under the supervision of a retired high court judge to ensure a fair election.

In the mayoral polls held on January 30, the BJP defeated the AAP-Congress alliance and won all the three posts.

(With inputs from agencies)