'Saving democracy in difficult times': Arvind Kejriwal after SC ruling
PTC News Desk: Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Tuesday thanked the Supreme Court for "saving democracy in difficult times". The statement comes hours after the apex court declared Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Councillor Kuldeep Kumar the winner of the Chandigarh Mayoral election.
"Thank you SC for saving democracy in these difficult times!" Kejriwal stated in a post on X.
On Tuesday, a bench comprising Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud, Justices JB Pardiwala, and Manoj Misra overturned Returning Officer Anil Masih's decision to declare BJP candidate Manoj Kumar Sonkar as Chandigarh Mayor on January 30.
The Supreme Court's order came after it determined that the Returning Officer had purposefully defaced eight ballots cast in favour of Kuldeep Kumar, rendering them invalid.
The Supreme Court today physically examined the ballot papers and determined that they were not defaced. It directed that Kuldeep Kumar be elected mayor with 20 votes (12 of which he received and eight defaced by Masih).
"The eight votes which were treated as invalid by making those markings... counting the eight votes for the petitioner (AAP candidate Kumar) will make him have 20 votes. We direct that the election result by the Returning Officer is quashed. The petitioner is declared to be the winner of the Chandigarh mayoral polls," the Court added.
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