Chandigarh, October 8, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) on Thursday urged Punjab Governor Gulab Chand Kataria to dismiss State Election Commissioner Raj Kamal Chaudhuri after the Supreme Court set aside elections in 50 municipal wards over irregularities and obstruction during the December 2024 nomination process.
SAD leader Daljit Singh Cheema also demanded that responsibility be fixed on officials who, he alleged, assisted the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government in manipulating the municipal elections, and called for exemplary action against them.
Cheema said the fact-finding commission headed by former Punjab and Haryana High Court judge Justice Nirmaljit Kaur had found evidence of opposition candidates being assaulted, prevented from filing nominations, subjected to coercive withdrawals and, in some cases, affected by bogus or multiple voting. The Supreme Court accepted the commission’s findings and ordered fresh elections in 50 wards—28 in Patiala and 22 in Moga district—under judicial monitoring.
Alleging that Chaudhuri had ignored complaints concerning the alleged misuse of civil and police machinery, Cheema said the State Election Commissioner should no longer remain in office.
“Now it has been proven beyond doubt that the State Election Commissioner murdered grassroots democracy under his watch. He does not have any right to remain in office,” Cheema said.
Welcoming the Supreme Court order, Cheema said the court’s decision to put the re-election process under the supervision of a committee headed by a retired High Court judge reflected the need for additional safeguards in conducting the polls. The fresh elections are to be completed within six weeks, with the nomination process, scrutiny, allocation of symbols and polling to be videographed.
Cheema also criticised Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann over the registration of cases against farmers accused of burning paddy stubble. He said the Chief Minister had earlier stated that farmers would not face action and would receive Rs 1,500 per acre for stubble management.
He alleged that surveillance drones were now being used to detect stubble-burning incidents and cases were being registered against farmers.
Seeking clarification from the Chief Minister, Cheema asked whether any notification had been issued regarding the promised Rs 1,500-per-acre assistance and when the amount would be released. He further alleged that the AAP government had failed to provide farmers with adequate machinery for stubble management or the promised compensation.
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