HC dismisses petition challenging Chandra's election

The Punjab and Haryana High Court today dismissed a petition challenging media baron Subhash Chandra's election as a member of the Rajya Sabha.
Chandra won the Rajya Sabha election from Haryana last year as an Independent candidate supported by the BJP.
The order by Justice P B Bajanthri came on an application filed by Chandra seeking dismissal of the election petition filed against him by his rival R K Anand, who was backed by the Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) and supported by the Congress.
Chandra's lawyers argued the petitioner had failed to file an affidavit in support of his allegation of corrupt practices as required under the Representation of People Act and the Conduct of Elections Rules, along with the election petition.

They contended that the Supreme Court too had held that the affidavit was an integral part of an election petition.
But the petitioner violated the mandatory provisions of law and, as such, the election petition was liable to be dismissed, they said.

The high court had earlier allowed an application for deleting from the election petition the name of returning officer for the Rajya Sabha election.
The application was filed on behalf of Haryana Assembly Secretary R K Nandal, who was the returning officer.
In the petition filed under the Representation of People Act, Anand had challenged the election held on June 11, 2016, for the two Rajya Sabha seats of Haryana in which Chandra and BJP's Birender Singh were declared winners.

Anand submitted he had learnt through reliable sources that Chandra had met the returning officer in the Assembly in the presence of several people a day before the election.
He alleged Chandra was shown the pen -- a violet-coloured sketch pen -- that was to be used for marking votes on ballot papers.
Anand stated that the official pen was removed from the polling area in a clandestine and dishonest manner in an effort to sabotage the election.
Union minister Singh won the first seat from Haryana, while Chandra won the second seat in a contest marred by cross-voting with 14 votes of the Congress being rejected for use of wrong pen.