Ahead of SC hearing, BJP drops Anil Masih’s name from minority cell
A new list of names with office-bearers has been declared by the city BJP president where Masih's name doesn't figure.
3 min read
Anil Masih had been general secretary of the minority cell of the Chandigarh BJP since 2021. (File)The Chandigarh unit of Bharatiya Janata Party has dropped the name of Anil Masih, presiding officer who is under fire for allegedly defacing the ballot papers, from the party’s minority cell. The decision comes a few days after the Supreme Court made its observations that it won’t allow the murder of democracy and that Masih, the nominated councillor, be present before the SC on February 19. The new list of office-bearers was released by the BJP on late Sunday evening.
Masih had been general secretary of the minority cell of the Chandigarh BJP since 2021. The Opposition had been alleging that Masih defaced the ballot papers on the directions of BJP, a charge the latter denied.
In the new minority cell of BJP, the general secretary’s position has now gone to Istekhar Ahmed.
BJP spokesperson Sanjeev Rana told The Indian Express, “It was decided by the party that any nominated councillor or councillor will not be a member of the cells or BJP units. So that is the reason. Otherwise, it has nothing do with any other issue.”
A new list of names with office-bearers has been declared by the city BJP president where Masih’s name doesn’t figure.
In 2022, Masih, who was representing the minority cell of the BJP was appointed a nominated councillor in Chandigarh Municipal Corporation general house. Masih was contacted but he didn’t respond to the queries sent by The Indian Express.
On January 30, when BJP mayoral candidate Manoj Sonkar won, the presiding officer- Masih was under fire and it was alleged that he had tampered with eight ballot papers- the votes that were declared invalid.
The opposition moved the High Court and then the Supreme court. When the SC took up the matter, Chief Justice of India, D Y Chandrachud said that “murder of democracy can’t be allowed”. The SC directed that the entire record of the mayoral elections be sequestered with the HC Registrar General. It also asked Masih to appear before it on February 19.
On January 18, when the elections were originally slated, Masih had fallen ill, leading to the polls being postponed to January 30. The municipal secretary, Gurinder Sodhi, too had taken leave two days before the January 18 polls allegedly due to back pain.
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