Maneka Gandhi files petition in HC, challenges Sultanpur MP’s election
Gandhi has pointed out that Nishad only mentioned only eight out of twelve criminal cases in the election affidavit. He also hid four pending chargesheets.
Former Bharatiya Janata Party MP from Sultanpur Maneka Gandhi on Saturday filed a petition in the Lucknow bench of the Allahabad high court, challenging the election of Samajwadi Party MP Rambhual Nishad on the grounds of not disclosing all the pending criminal cases against him at the time of filing his nomination papers for the recently concluded Lok Sabha election.
In the petition, Gandhi has pointed out that out of 12 criminal cases, Nishad only mentioned eight in the election affidavit and also concealed the fact that in four of these he had been charge sheeted.
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She appeared in person before the registrar of the high court on Saturday to file the petition.
Nishad defeated the sitting MP Maneka Gandhi from Sultanpur Lok Sabha seat by a margin of 43,174 votes in June. Nishad secured 4,44,330 votes and Gandhi got 4,01,156 votes.
“Maneka Gandhi has filed a case challenging the election of SP MP from Sultanpur Rambhual Nishad. Twelve criminal cases are lodged against him and he had only mentioned eight in the election affidavit,” said Prashant Singh, the counsel for Maneka Gandhi.
“He (Rambhual Nishad) also misled the Election Commission by not disclosing the fact that in four criminal cases he had been charge sheeted,” Singh added.
After nomination of the bench, the case will come up for hearing soon, said Singh.
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It has been alleged in the election petition that the non-disclosure/ deliberate omission of criminal antecedent is an act of corrupt practice and thereby covered under Section 100 of the Representation of People Act, 1951.
Maneka Gandhi has prayed in the petition that on this ground alone, the election to the Sultanpur Lok Sabha constituency may be declared void.
When asked for his comment on the development, Samajwadi Party spokesman Rajendra Chaudhary said, "Let the court decide.”
