Election of Cong, BJP MLAs challenged in High Court

The election of Congress candidate from Danilimda seat in Ahmedabad and that of BJP candidate from Dediyapada in Narmada district, to the state assembly has been challenged in the Gujarat High Court.

BJP candidate Girishchandra Parmar has challenged the election of Congress candidate Shailesh Parmar from SC reserved seat Danilimda on the grounds that Parmar did not belong to reserved SC category and a case questioning his caste status was pending before the high court since 2009. Parmar had won the Danilimda seat with a margin of over 14,000 votes defeating BJP rival Girishchandra Parmar during the assembly polls in December 2012. A former Congressman Girishchandra had switched over to BJP before the election after he was denied ticket by the party.

Girishchandra has challenged the validity of the election results for Danilimda seat and have sought disqualification of Parmar. He has also sought that he be declared winner from Danilimda seat as he had secured second highest votes. In the petition, Girishchandra has alleged that Parmar's caste status was already under challenge in the High Court since 2009 and despite this he produced a fresh caste certificate issued in 2012 before the Election Commission.

"When a caste certificate is under challenge in court, how can one produce a fresh caste certificate," the petition had questioned. He has further alleged that nor Parmar neither his ancestors belonged to the SC category, contrary to the claim of the Congressman.

Meanwhile, Congress candidate Amarsinh Vasava has challenged the election of BJP candidate Motilal Vasava from Dediyapada on the grounds that he had resorted to corrupt practices and had spent more during election campaign than the prescribed limit by the EC.

BJP candidate Motilal had won by a margin of over 2500 votes from his nearest rival Amarsinh Vasava of Congress, who have filed the petition in the High court. Amarsinh has alleged that Motilal has overshot his election expenditure limit of Rs 1.6 million and to hide that he had resorted to corrupt practices.

Also, an independent candidate from Vav constituency has challenged the election of BJP candidate Shankar Chaudhary.

All the matter will come up for hearing next week.