Delhi High Court Seeks Bansuri Swaraj’s Response to Somnath Bharti’s Election Challenge
New Delhi, August 14: The Delhi High Court has asked BJP MP Bansuri Swaraj to respond to a plea by Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Somnath Bharti. Bharti is challenging Swaraj’s victory in the Lok Sabha election from the New Delhi constituency, alleging ‘corrupt practices’.
The court has also removed Raaj Kumar Anand, a Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) candidate, from the list of respondents. Bharti had claimed that Anand was set up by the BJP to help Swaraj win. However, the court found no valid cause of action against Anand, as he received only 5,269 votes, which would not have changed the election outcome.
The Returning Officer, another respondent, opposed his inclusion in the case, arguing he was neither necessary nor proper under Section 82 of the Representation of the People Act. He also expressed a desire to address the release of Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) and Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trails (VVPATs) during the election petition’s pendency. The court has scheduled a hearing for Tuesday to address this issue.
Justice Manmeet Pritam Singh Arora has issued a notice to Bansuri Swaraj, directing her to file a response within 30 days. Bharti, through Advocate KC Mittal, has sought records from the Returning Officer pertaining to the New Delhi parliamentary constituency elections held on May 25, 2024. Bharti lost the election with 3,74,815 votes, while Swaraj won with 4,53,185 votes.
Bharti’s plea claims that Anand, initially a minister in the AAP government, resigned due to pressure from investigating agencies and later joined the BJP. Bharti also alleged that BJP workers distributed money and materials to voters and that Swaraj’s campaign was religious in nature, seeking votes on prohibited lines.
Doubts Revealed
Delhi High Court -: The Delhi High Court is a big building where judges work to make sure everyone follows the law in Delhi.
Bansuri Swaraj -: Bansuri Swaraj is a member of the BJP, which is a political party in India. She is also the daughter of Sushma Swaraj, a famous Indian politician.
Somnath Bharti -: Somnath Bharti is a leader from the AAP, another political party in India. He is challenging the election results.
BJP -: BJP stands for Bharatiya Janata Party, which is one of the major political parties in India.
AAP -: AAP stands for Aam Aadmi Party, which is another political party in India that focuses on common people’s issues.
Lok Sabha -: Lok Sabha is the lower house of India’s Parliament where elected members make laws and discuss important issues.
corrupt practices -: Corrupt practices mean doing things that are not fair or honest, especially to win something like an election.
BSP -: BSP stands for Bahujan Samaj Party, another political party in India that focuses on the rights of marginalized communities.
Raaj Kumar Anand -: Raaj Kumar Anand is a candidate from the BSP who was part of the election but is no longer involved in this case.
Returning Officer -: A Returning Officer is a person who is in charge of overseeing the election process in a particular area.
EVMs -: EVMs are Electronic Voting Machines used in India to help people vote easily and quickly.
VVPATs -: VVPATs are Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trails, which are used to make sure that the votes cast on EVMs are recorded correctly.
Justice Manmeet Pritam Singh Arora -: Justice Manmeet Pritam Singh Arora is a judge in the Delhi High Court who is handling this case.
agencies -: Agencies here refer to government organizations that help in managing elections and other important tasks.
religious campaigning -: Religious campaigning means using religion to influence people to vote for a particular candidate or party, which is not allowed in elections.