The Delhi Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has accused Delhi Mayor, Jai Prakash, of acting in a malafide manner following an “unpalatable result” in the recent municipal by-elections. The party has petitioned the Delhi High Court, alleging that Prakash has deliberately delayed the notification of results in order to manipulate the outcome.
The by-elections, held on May 2nd, were for five vacant seats in the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD). The BJP, which currently controls the MCD, was expected to win all five seats. However, to the surprise of many, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) emerged victorious in four out of the five seats.
The BJP has alleged that Mayor Prakash, who is a member of the AAP, has deliberately delayed the notification of results in order to give his party time to manipulate the outcome. The party has also accused Prakash of tampering with the electronic voting machines (EVMs) in order to rig the election in the AAP’s favor.
In their petition to the High Court, the BJP has requested that the results of the by-elections be set aside and fresh elections be held under the supervision of an independent observer.
“The Mayor has acted in a malafide manner after an unpalatable result, which goes against the democratic principles of free and fair elections,” said a spokesperson for the Delhi BJP. “We have no faith in the impartiality of the Mayor or the AAP, and we believe that the only way to ensure a fair outcome is to hold fresh elections under independent supervision.”
The AAP has dismissed the BJP’s allegations as baseless, and has accused the party of trying to create a controversy in order to divert attention from its own failures.
“This is a clear case of sour grapes,” said an AAP spokesperson. “The BJP is unable to accept defeat and is trying to create a controversy where none exists. The people of Delhi have spoken, and the BJP should accept the verdict of the voters.”
