Chandigarh Mayoral elections: BJP’s Deputy Mayor filed false affidavit, alleges Cong

They alleged Gupta filed a false affidavit.

The petition filed by Chandigarh District Congress president Rajiv Kumar Moudgil alleged BJP councillor Gupta enrolled himself as an advocate in 2007 with the Punjab and Haryana Bar Council.

He filed an affidavit before the council under rule 47 of Bar Council Rules to the effect that after being enrolled as an advocate, he would not personally engage in any business activity. Now on December 3, 2021, he filed an affidavit before the returning officer stating on oath that he is a businessman by occupation and declared his income from business.

Moudgil had contested the election from ward number 11 but lost.

When contacted, Gupta denied all the allegations.

He said, “These are all false allegations. So far, I have not seen the complaint but all my affidavits are true. I am a law graduate but I do business. Congress is only misleading the people, city residents and wasting the precious time of state machinery.”

Gupta was the richest among 203 candidates, including Independents and different parties’ ticket holders.

Addressing a press conference at Congress Bhawan here on Saturday, Subhash Chawla, president of Chandigarh Congress, stated that not only the elections from ward no. 11 be countermanded but Gupta should also be prosecuted for filing a false affidavit before the State Election Commission.

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has already challenged the mayoral election results in the Punjab and Haryana High Court.

Bharatiya Janata Party councillor Sarabjit Kaur had won the Mayoral election defeating AAP councillor Anju Katyal by one vote as the councillors of the Congress and the Shiromani Akali Dal did not turn up for voting.