NEW DELHI: The Delhi High Court on Monday asked AAP leader Somnath Bharti to file a corrected petition challenging the election of BJP MP Bansuri Swaraj in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections due to several errors in the original document. Justice Manmeet PS Arora highlighted numerous typographical errors that made the petition difficult to understand.
The court noted discrepancies between the respondents listed in the petition and those mentioned in the parties’ memorandum and synopsis. Bharti was given 10 days to file a revised petition. A further hearing on the matter has been scheduled for August 14.
When Bharti’s lawyer requested the court to send notice to the respondents, the judge replied, “There are too many errors. Please correct the petition first. I cannot send such a notice. I will simply defer it. Please file a corrected petition.”
Both Bharti and Bansuri Swaraj contested from the New Delhi Lok Sabha seat in the 2024 elections. According to the electoral officer, Bharti received 3,74,815 votes while Swaraj got 4,53,185 votes.
Bharti’s petition, filed under sections 80 and 81 of the Representation of the People Act, accused Swaraj and her election team of corrupt practices. The petition also alleged that former AAP minister Raaj Kumar Anand contested the elections on a Bahujan Samaj Party ticket to divert votes in favour of Swaraj and subsequently joined the BJP on July 10.
The suit alleged that Anand had been actively campaigning for Bharti until April 9, but had resigned from the Aam Aadmi Party on April 10. On election day, Bharti claimed to have seen Swaraj agents distributing pamphlets with her ballot number, her photo, the election symbol and a picture of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. These agents were allegedly urging voters to support “ballot No. 1,” the suit said.
The petition stated that “…such an act can certainly be termed as corrupt practice. This was also brought to the notice of respondent No. 3 (election officer) but all in vain.”
Bharti held that the actions of Swaraj’s agents on the election day, along with Anand’s sudden switch to the BJP, amounted to corrupt practices. However, the court stressed the need for a corrected and clear petition before any action could be taken.
The court order offers Bharti an opportunity to correct the errors and refile her challenge to Swaraj’s election. The next hearing, to be held on August 14, will determine the course of action based on the corrected petition Bharti is expected to file.
The court noted discrepancies between the respondents listed in the petition and those mentioned in the parties’ memorandum and synopsis. Bharti was given 10 days to file a revised petition. A further hearing on the matter has been scheduled for August 14.
When Bharti’s lawyer requested the court to send notice to the respondents, the judge replied, “There are too many errors. Please correct the petition first. I cannot send such a notice. I will simply defer it. Please file a corrected petition.”
Both Bharti and Bansuri Swaraj contested from the New Delhi Lok Sabha seat in the 2024 elections. According to the electoral officer, Bharti received 3,74,815 votes while Swaraj got 4,53,185 votes.
Bharti’s petition, filed under sections 80 and 81 of the Representation of the People Act, accused Swaraj and her election team of corrupt practices. The petition also alleged that former AAP minister Raaj Kumar Anand contested the elections on a Bahujan Samaj Party ticket to divert votes in favour of Swaraj and subsequently joined the BJP on July 10.
The suit alleged that Anand had been actively campaigning for Bharti until April 9, but had resigned from the Aam Aadmi Party on April 10. On election day, Bharti claimed to have seen Swaraj agents distributing pamphlets with her ballot number, her photo, the election symbol and a picture of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. These agents were allegedly urging voters to support “ballot No. 1,” the suit said.
The petition stated that “…such an act can certainly be termed as corrupt practice. This was also brought to the notice of respondent No. 3 (election officer) but all in vain.”
Bharti held that the actions of Swaraj’s agents on the election day, along with Anand’s sudden switch to the BJP, amounted to corrupt practices. However, the court stressed the need for a corrected and clear petition before any action could be taken.
The court order offers Bharti an opportunity to correct the errors and refile her challenge to Swaraj’s election. The next hearing, to be held on August 14, will determine the course of action based on the corrected petition Bharti is expected to file.
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