The aftermath of the mayoral elections in Chandigarh has ignited a political firestorm, with Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Tuesday accusing the BJP of orchestrating electoral fraud to secure victory.

Mann, addressing the media hours after BJP candidate emerged victorious in mayoral polls, lambasted the saffron party for what he termed as the “plundering” of the mayoral elections, stating that the events of January 30 would forever stain the fabric of India’s democracy.

“January 30 will be remembered as the ‘darkest day’ in the annals of Indian polity as BJP led Union Government has murdered democracy during the election for post of Mayor in Chandigarh,” he said, alleging that the BJP had compromised the integrity of the constitution during the polls.

Expressing dismay, Mann pointed out the irony of the situation, as the nation had recently celebrated Republic Day, only for democratic principles to be disregarded in the electoral process. He asserted that the mayoral elections in Chandigarh were marred by foul play, indicating a systematic erosion of democratic values.

The Chief Minister specifically targeted the presiding officer, Anil Masih, accusing him of colluding with the BJP to manipulate the election outcome. He demanded that Masih be charged with sedition for betraying the nation’s constitutional ethos.

Substantiating his allegations with video clips, Mann highlighted instances of irregularities, including the late arrival of the presiding officer and his alleged tampering with ballot papers during the counting process.

Stating that BJP had deliberately appointed the head of its minority wing as the presiding officer in these polls, Mann said that the “spineless presiding officer acted as per the whims and fancies of his masters to ensure victory of the BJP nominee…He must be booked under sedition for deceiving the constitution of the country. He had deliberately counted the votes in the absence of polling agents just to ensure the win of the BJP candidate”.

Mann reiterated his concerns about the broader implications of election fraud, warning that such malpractices could undermine the integrity of future parliamentary elections. He emphasized the need for transparency and accountability in the electoral process to uphold the sanctity of democracy.

Furthermore, Mann issued a stark warning, stating, “It will be the last day of democracy incase BJP wins the forthcoming general elections.”

Mann, addressing the purported manipulation of votes in the Chandigarh mayoral election conducted earlier in the day, remarked that if the BJP, by his reference, is willing to resort to such unethical practices for a mere 36 votes, the extent of misconduct they might engage in for over 90 crore votes at the national level is unfathomable.

Asserting that this is BJP’s chronic habit, Mann pointed that they had earlier toppled democratically elected governments in Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka, Goa, Maharashtra, and other north-eastern states.

The mayoral polls in Chandigarh saw the BJP emerge victorious, securing all three posts, including that of mayor. The BJP candidate Manoj Sonkar defeated the AAP-Congress alliance, prompting protests from opposition councillors.

“The BJP's victory in the mayoral polls is a grave miscarriage of justice,” Mann declared, asserting that democracy had been "murdered" in Chandigarh. He warned of dire implications for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections, expressing concern that the BJP's electoral machinations would erode the foundational principles of democracy.

“The point of worry here is not that BJP has hijacked the democratic process in Chandigarh but the real problem is that they will divest the people of their democratic rights in ensuing Lok Sabha polls too,” he said.