The ruling BJP at the Centre today accused the AAP government in Punjab of “murdering democracy” and alleged that the mayoral election in Abohar were rigged.BJP national spokesperson Amit Malviya said when democratic norms are compromised, the usual chorus of self-appointed guardians of democracy is expected to demand answers. “But when the party facing serious questions is AAP, the silence of this pro-democracy brigade is deafening,” he said.“In Abohar, despite BJP being the single largest party with 28 councillors, the AAP candidate was declared Mayor after a secret ballot that is now under a cloud. Serious allegations have been raised,” Malviya said.He questioned the unexplained postponement of the election, the absence of video recording of the ballot counting, and claims that the Returning Officer simply announced the result without any transparent verification before attempting to leave.“If even a fraction of these allegations had surfaced in a BJP-ruled state, there would have been wall-to-wall outrage, press conferences, editorials, and lectures on the murder of democracy. So where are the usual suspects now? Where are the activists, commentators, and opposition leaders who never miss an opportunity to sermonise on democratic values?” Malviya asked.He said democracy cannot have different standards for different political parties.“If transparency matters, it must matter irrespective of who is in power. The people of Punjab deserve answers, not selective outrage,” BJP said.Elections for the Mayor, Senior Deputy Mayor, and Deputy Mayor were held today. An AAP candidate won the Mayor’s post by securing 27 votes through a secret ballot.“This, despite BJP being the single largest party with 28 out of 50 councillors. AAP has 20 councillors, with one INC councillor and one Independent councillor. Abohar MLA Sandeep Jakhar has alleged irregularities in the election process, questioning its transparency and claiming that AAP secured the Mayor’s post through fraudulent means,” Malviya said.He said that after the results, local BJP leaders staged a protest outside the Municipal Corporation office against the Commissioner and AAP, demanding a fair and transparent mayoral election.“All 28 BJP councillors have joined the protest. The elections were originally scheduled for July 7, 2026, but were postponed by the administration without citing any specific reason, before being conducted on July 10, 2026. Verified inputs suggest that the local DC merely took attendance of the present councillors and then declared the AAP candidate as the winner. No cameras or recording of the secret ballot counting was undertaken. The DC then tried leaving without giving any answers, but was stopped by BJP councillors who have declared they will not leave until they get a fair election,” Malviya alleged.