HC rejects petition challenging Modi's election from Varanasi

The judge said that no material has been placed on record to make the petition triable

The Allahabad High Court on Wednesday dismissed a petition challenging the election of Prime Minister Narendra Modi from Varanasi Lok Sabha constituency.

Single judge bench of Justice Vikram Nath allowed the preliminary objection raised by Modi's counsel and rejected the petition of Ajay Rai, Congress MLA who had lost in the elections in 2014.

"No material has been placed on record to make the petition triable," the judge said.

The court was of the view that the petition was "half-hearted" and termed as "vague and bald statements, based on media reports" the allegations by Rai about the expenditure on Modi's campaign being far in excess of permissible limits.

 

Rai, who had finished third and forfeited his deposit in the nearly one-sided electoral battle, had alleged in his petition that "more than Rs 50 crore" had been spent on Modi's election campaign.

He had also claimed that a number of posh hotels in the ancient temple town had been booked for the purpose "for the period between April 24, 2014, and May 12, 2014 (the date of voting in Varanasi)".

Rai had also claimed that "more than 400 vans" had been plied for the purpose of canvassing and popularising slogans like "Har Har Modi Ghar Ghar Modi" and "Abki Baar Modi Sarkar".

However, the court concurred with the submission of Modi's counsel and Additional Solicitor General of India Satyapal Jain that the petitioner has failed to place any material on record to establish that these expenses were made directly by the candidate or by his supporters upon his directions.

"While making an allegation that more than Rs 50 crore were spent, the petitioner has failed to specify who made these payments and to whom and what was the mode of payment. There is a lack of specific pleadings and the allegations are merely vague and bald statements based on media reports," the court remarked.