Delhi High Court seeks response from Ramesh Bidhuri on plea by Raghav Chadha challenging his win

Source: thehindu.com

The Delhi High Court on Friday sought a response from BJP MP Ramesh Bidhuri on a plea by rival AAP leader Raghav Chadha challenging his election to the Lok Sabha from South Delhi parliamentary constituency.

Justice Sanjeev Narula also directed the returning officer to preserve the election records relating to the parliamentary polls for South Delhi constituency. The high court has posted the case for further hearing on September 2.

Mr. Chadha had on Thursday moved the High Court contending that Mr. Bidhuri suppressed the information, in his affidavit as a candidate, regarding an FIR lodged against him in a police station in Muzaffarpur, Bihar.

His plea said the election of Mr. Bidhuri was vitiated by the “corrupt practices of undue influence committed by the candidate inasmuch as by failing to disclose material particulars regarding his antecedents…”

“The BJP candidate willfully and intentionally concealed the factum of registration of an FIR against him in Police Station… Muzaffarpur, Bihar, under sections 504, 506, 153 and 153(a) of the IPC,” it added.

Mr. Chadha had also contested from the constituency, where Mr. Bidhuri won by over 3.6 lakh votes. The plea sought that the election results declaring Mr. Bidhuri as the winning candidate be held as void and Mr. Chadha, who secured the next highest tally of votes in the constituency, be declared as the winning candidate.

His plea claimed that by not disclosing fully or publicising particulars of his criminal antecedents, the BJP candidate has committed the corrupt practice of undue influence in the exercise of electoral rights of the citizens of the national capital.