Delhi corporator's 2012 election declared void

A court here has declared the 2012 municipal election in Kondli seat of east Delhi as void, observing that rules were not followed while conducting election which has affected the result.

Additional District Judge Virender Kumar Goyal, in a recently-delivered order, has directed to de-publish the name of ward number 215's winning candidate, Priyanka Gautam and to suspend her oath ceremony.

The court order came on a plea filed by Savita Verma who contested the election as a candidate of the Congress and finished runner up.

Verma alleged that State Election Commission and its Returning Officer of ward number 215 did not comply with norms of election and on April 17, 2012 declared Gautam as winning candidate in a hasty and haphazard manner.

The court observed that some of documents and forms of different polling stations did not have the signature of polling agent.

"In view of above evidence brought on record and material placed alongwith the documents, it is proved that the provisions and rules have not been complied with by the defendant 1 (State Election Commission )and 2 (Returning Officer), which has materially affected the result of returned candidate, while conducting the election," the court said in its December 3's order.

Gautam was declared successful candidate by getting 5,632 votes, whereas Verma received 5,476 votes.

--IANS

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