Chandigarh mayoral elections: SC appoints ex-Punjab and Haryana High Court judge Justice Jaishree Thakur as independent observer

The direction came on a plea filed by current Mayor Kuldeep Kumar of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP). Kumar had approached the Punjab and Haryana High Court seeking among others, to defer the polls to February 20 on the ground that he will be completing his tenure only by then. But the High Court declined to grant the prayer.

On his appeal, the top court, too, refused to interfere with the HC order but issued notice on the limited prayer point of appointing an independent observer to oversee the poll given what happened in 2024. Last year, the Supreme Court had set aside the election of the BJP candidate Manoj Sonkar as the Mayor and declared Kumar the winner following allegations of tampering with ballot papers.

Appearing for the Chandigarh Municipal Corporation, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta said, “History may not repeat itself every time”. Mehta added it would have no objection if the court were to appoint an independent observer.

Appointing the observer, the bench also directed authorities to record the election proceedings on camera, and make all necessary security arrangements. The bench asked the returning officer to contact the independent observer and coordinate with them “well before the scheduled date of election.”

The bench directed that the Union Territory administration shall pay the observer an honorarium of Rs 1 lakh within a week.