Ahmed Patel’s RS win challenged in Guj HC

Manas Dasgupta

Ahmedabad, August 18

Congress senior leader Ahmed Patel’s election to the Rajya Sabha was challenged by BJP’s defeated candidate Balwantsinh Rajput in the Gujarat High Court today.

Rajput has requested the court to reject the decision of the Election Commission of India (ECI) to cancel two votes of Congress rebels polled in his favour, ban Ahmed Patel for six years for allegedly offering bribe to Congress members of the state Assembly to vote for him and declare him elected in his place. The petition will come up for hearing on August 21.

Rajput has claimed that the ECI had no authority to direct the returning officer to accept or reject any vote after the returning officer, through his speaking orders, had rejected the Congress objections during polling and allowed the ballot papers of Raghavji Patel and Gohil to be dropped into the ballot box.

Once the returning officer had taken a decision, the only course left to the affected person was to challenge the decision in the court. The ECI had no jurisdiction to hear any appeal against the decision of the returning officer, he maintained. The petitioner also contended Ahmed Patel had indulged in bribery and attempted to influence voters who were kept confined in a Bengaluru resort.