The Supreme Court on Tuesday came down strongly on Returning Officer Anil Masih in the controversy over the Chandigarh mayoral election. A bench led by Chief Justice DY Chandrachud examined the eight “invalid” votes at the heart of the row between the BJP and the AAP, and said they “shall be recounted… treated as valid” and “results declared on the basis of that”.
A recount – which includes the eight votes discarded by Mr Masih for unspecified reasons – will give the Aam Aadmi Party and Congress alliance a clear win in the mayoral race.