Supreme Court History: Ballot Papers Counted In Court, Judges Announce Result

This court is "duty bound to ensure that the democratic process is not set at naught by such subterfuges," the judges said.

The Supreme Court made history today, ordering the last step of Chandigarh's Mayoral election in the courtroom and witnessing the counting of votes. At the end of it, Aam Aadmi Party's Kuldeep Kumar was declared the Mayor by the judges.  

A bench led by Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud -- which examined the ballot papers this morning and slammed the Returning Officer who invalidated eight votes by defacing them -- refused to leave the subsequent part of the electoral process to the authorities.

The BJP appeal that a fresh election be called was also turned down.