Ferozepur, July 11 -- The Abohar mayoral election on Friday plunged into chaos and was eventually postponed after the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) launched a protest against the declaration of Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) candidate Ganesh Sablania as the mayor. Alleging that the result was announced without any voting despite the BJP having a clear majority in the 50-member Municipal Corporation House, party leaders termed the episode a "murder of democracy", triggering scenes of confrontation, sloganeering and a four-hour standoff with the administration. While the AAP maintained that its nominee had secured the required majority and was elected in accordance with the prescribed procedure, the BJP accused the Punjab government and the administration of subverting the electoral mandate. Claiming the support of 28 councillors, along with one vote from Abohar MLA Sandeep Jakhar, against the AAP's 20, the BJP questioned how the AAP nominee could have been declared mayor. In the May 29 civic polls, the BJP had won 28 of the 50 wards, crossing the majority mark of 26. The AAP secured 20 seats, while the Congress managed just one. Abohar MLA Sandeep Jakhar, displaying the MC proceedings' book before the media, alleged that the election process was never initiated and that only the attendance of newly elected councillors was marked before the AAP candidate was declared elected. "Nothing was recorded in the proceedings book. Had it not been in our possession, the record could have been manipulated later to show the AAP's victory on paper," Jakhar alleged, accusing the administration of acting in haste and in connivance with AAP leaders. Raising slogans against the Punjab government and senior officials, BJP leaders and councillors surrounded the official vehicles of the Ferozepur divisional commissioner and the Fazilka deputy commissioner, preventing them from leaving the MC office. Police resorted to a mild lathicharge to disperse protesters blocking the officials' movement. BJP leaders claimed that two councillors sustained injuries during the police action. The standoff continued for hours, with additional police forces rushed to the spot from neighbouring areas as tensions remained high. Ferozepur divisional commissioner Babita Kler and Fazilka deputy commissioner Amarpreet Kaur remained inside the Municipal Corporation office for more than 4 hours where they held discussions with former Punjab BJP president Sunil Jakhar, who questioned the basis on which the AAP candidate had been declared elected despite the BJP's claim of majority support. Around 9.15 pm, Abohar executive magistrate Sanjeev Chabra, along with Sunil Jakhar and Sandeep, came out and announced that the mayoral poll had been postponed, triggering a wave of jubilation among BJP rank and file. Sunil Jakhar termed the decision a victory for democracy and lauded the administration for reading the public mood and taking what he described as the right decision. The BJP later announced that a party delegation, led by state president Kewal Singh Dhillon, will call on the Punjab governor on Saturday to submit a memorandum, alleging irregularities and misuse of official machinery during the election....