Chandigarh mayoral poll on January 30 , CP will Hold Security Arrangements

Chandigarh, January 25

The Punjab and Haryana High Court today ruled that the deferment of mayoral poll for 18 days was “totally unreasonable, unjustified and arbitrary” before directing the holding of elections on January 30 –– a week before the revised date. The Bench also issued five commandments on holding the elections in a fair and free manner.

The elections were to be held initially on January 18, but were postponed to February 6, resulting in the filing of a petition challenging the order.

The Bench of Justice Sudhir Singh and Justice Harsh Bunger said, “The grounds on which the poll has been deferred are unjustified and unreasonable and the very fact that it has been deferred for 18 long days adds irrationality to it. We have given respondents patient hearing and sufficient opportunity to rectify the said wrong, but to no avail.”

The Bench observed the pleadings and arguments on behalf of the UT and other respondents made it evident that the elections were deferred owing to presiding officer Anil Masih’s illness and law and order situation. But the court found no justification for it as the UT deputy commissioner, being the prescribed authority, was within his right to nominate and appoint another presiding officer. “One could have understood the situation, if there was any emergent crisis or natural calamity. However, there being none, we are constrained to observe that the grounds to defer the elections are totally absurd and frivolous,” it said.