CHANDIGARH: On January 18 , when mayoral elections will be held in Chandigarh, the case of voting rights of nine nominated MC councillors will be heard in the Supreme Court. The special leave petition (SLP) filed by Chandigarh administration to restore voting rights of nine nominated councillors is scheduled for hearing on January 18.For the second time, none of the nine nominated councillors will be able to cast their votes in elections to the posts of mayor, senior deputy mayor and deputy mayor. Since the party in power made it a practice to use the nine nominated councillors, who generally belonged to the ruling party, to clinch votes, Punjab and Haryana high court cancelled their voting rights in August 2017. This was a a major setback for the ruling BJP.Most of the present councillors are either previous office-bearers of the Chandigarh BJP or are somehow associated with the saffron party. Chandigarh BJP tried to get around this but the high court annulled voting rights of the councillors after hearing arguments on both sides.“Even though we are in a majority, we keenly want to get the support of the nominated councillors for a thumping victory in the mayoral elections. Therefore, the administration has moved court to restore voting rights of nominated councillors”, said a BJP leader.With Chandigarh BJP facing internal tussle on selection of candidates for the posts of mayor, senior deputy mayor and deputy mayor, all factions looked towards nominated councillors to show their dominance before the Central leadership of the party in New Delhi.Former elected councillor of the BJP, Satinder Singh moved Punjab and Haryana high court in August 2016, requesting the court that since nominated councillors are not elected, as per constitutional provisions, they cannot vote in mayoral elections. After listening to all aspects and going through legal, constitutional and related areas for almost one year, the bench of then acting Chief Justice of Punjab and Haryana high court, Surinder Singh Saron and Justice Avneesh Jhingan annulled voting rights of nominated councillors in August, 2017.

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