AAP leader Somnath Bharti has approached the Delhi High Court challenging the election of BJP MP Bansuri Swaraj in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, citing allegations of corrupt practices
Justice Manmeet PS Arora is set to hear the election petition on July 22.
The petition states that Bharti received 3,74,815 votes, while Swaraj secured 4,53,185 votes as reported by the returning officer. Both candidates contested from the New Delhi Parliamentary Constituency, with Swaraj being declared the winner.
“The petitioner (Bharti) is filing this election petition under Sections 80 and 81 of the Representation of the People Act, challenging the election of respondent no.1 (Swaraj) as a Member of the House of the People from the New Delhi Parliamentary Constituency, on grounds of ‘corrupt practices’ engaged in by respondent no.1, her election agent, and other individuals with her consent during the Lok Sabha election held on May 25, 2024,” the petition states.
The petition alleges that former AAP minister Raaj Kumar Anand, who was a candidate from the Bahujan Samaj Party, was actually set up by Swaraj’s party to undermine Bharti’s campaign. Anand, who was actively campaigning for Bharti until April 9, resigned from AAP on April 10 and contested the election on a Bahujan Samaj Party ticket to help Swaraj by splitting the vote share. Anand subsequently joined the BJP on July 10, the petition claims.
“On election day, May 5, 2024, the petitioner, during his visits to various booths across the New Delhi Parliamentary Constituency, was surprised to see booth agents of respondent no.1 distributing her pamphlets, which displayed her ballot number, photo, election symbol, and a photo of PM Narendra Modi, and urging voters to support ballot no.1. This act qualifies as a corrupt practice. Despite reporting this to respondent no.3 (returning officer), no action was taken,” the petition alleges.
(With inputs from agency)
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