SC to consider listing PILs challenging promise of pre-poll freebies

The Supreme Court on Friday agreed to consider listing of the pleas challenging the political parties' practice of promising pre-election freebies to voters.

A bench comprising Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud and Justices JB Pardiwala and Manoj Misra was urged by senior advocate Vijay Hansaria, appearing for one of the PIL petitioners, that the matters are part-heard and needed to be adjudicated upon.

"We will see it," the CJI said.

A bench headed by CJI UU Lalit, since retired, had on November 1, 2022, said that the PILs can be heard by a three-judge bench as directed.

The pleas including the one filed by advocate Ashwini Upadhyay opposed promises of such handouts by the parties during polls.

The petitions have also sought the Election Commission invokes its powers to freeze the election symbols of these parties and cancel their registration to ensure that the practice of promising pre-election freebies is no longer in existence.