SC slams 'horse-trading'in Chd polls, to examine ballots today

The Supreme Court on Monday directed the ballots cast during the controversial Chandigarh mayoral elections last month to be produced before it on Tuesday and said that it was deeply concerned by reports of "horse trading", warning the returning officer accused of tampering ballots that he should be prosecuted.

- Abraham Thomas

The three-judge bench headed by CJI Dhananjaya Y Chandrachud also said that it may consider declaring the results on the basis of votes already cast instead of ordering fresh elections. "We also read newspapers. We are deeply concerned about the horse-trading which is taking place," said the bench, also comprising justices JB Pardiwala and Manoj Misra. The comments came a day after three Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) councillors joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Chandigarh and the mayor, Manoj Sonkar, resigned.

"We will list this tomorrow and see the ballot papers and decide what to do. This whole business of horse trading which is going on is very disturbing. Let the entire video of counting of the votes be also produced tomorrow noon," the CJI said.

The apex court also questioned the man officiating the election, BJP office bearer Anil Masih, who controversially declared eight votes invalid. Masih defended himself, saying he only was marking out defaced ballots. But the bench warned that the officer's conduct was serious and should warrant prosecution. It directed the sealed cases containing the ballots from the poll to be produced before the top court.