New Delhi: The Delhi High Court today issued notice on a plea challenging the election of Delhi’s health minister Satyendra Jain of AAP.
The bench headed by Justice Mukta Gupta was hearing an election petition file by BJP leader SC Vats, praying that the election of Jain as a Member of Legislative Assembly from Shakur Basti Assembly Constituency in Delhi be declared to be void and set aside with a further prayer for reclamation of the petitioner as a returned candidate for having stood runner-up in the said elections on the grounds of corrupt practices by Jain, his election agent and other gazetted officers of the department of which Jain was heading up to the declaration of the 2020 election results.
Vats has sought directions to the returning officer calling for the records pertaining to the elections held in Shakur Basti and non-compliance to the guidelines complained of in the petition.
The petition has also sought to restrain Jain from attending the Legislative Assembly and drawing of emoluments or any other payment till the pendency of his petition.
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Vats claimed that Jain has not revealed his actual expenses incurred during the election campaign. He also accused Jain of bribing people and influencing free and fair elections.
Vats has stated:
“To secure the victory in the Delhi Assembly Election-2020, respondent number 1 (Jain) committed serious unlawful and corrupt practices under Sections 123(1), (2). (4), (6) and (8) of the Representation of People Act, 1951 read with Section 77 of the said Act read with Rule 90 of the Conduct of Election Rules, 1961 during the process elections and also committed various offences under criminal law during that period.”
– India Legal Bureau