Court dismisses petition on Phagwara Mayor’s election

The Punjab and Haryana High Court has dismissed a petition challenging the Phagwara Municipal Corporation mayoral elections and imposed a fine of Rs 1 lakh on the petitioner. The amount is to be deposited with the Poor Patients’ Welfare Society, PGI, Chandigarh.

Filed by Congress councillor

The petition was filed by Congress councillor Sanjeev Bugga, who had sought court intervention, alleging irregularities in the election process. He requested that the election be conducted under the supervision of a High Court-appointed observer. In response, the court entrusted the responsibility of overseeing the election to former High Court Judge Justice Harbans Lal.

The petition was filed by Congress councillor Sanjeev Bugga, who had sought court intervention, alleging irregularities in the election process. He requested that the election be conducted under the supervision of a High Court-appointed observer.

In response, the court entrusted the responsibility of overseeing the election to former High Court Judge Justice Harbans Lal. Following the election, the Mayor was elected from the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) instead of the Congress, which had the majority. Dissatisfied with the outcome, the Congress councillor filed a fresh petition, raising doubts over the fairness of the election process. The High Court then sought the observer’s report and video footage of the election proceedings. Upon reviewing the submitted evidence, the court found no merit in the allegations and dismissed the petition.

Besides, the court directed the petitioner to deposit Rs 1 lakh in the PGI’s welfare fund for underprivileged patients, ensuring the penalty amount was used for the public welfare. This ruling marks a significant conclusion to the controversy surrounding the Phagwara mayoral election, reaffirming the legitimacy of the process conducted under judicial supervision.