Somnath Bharti moves Delhi High Court against Bansuri Swaraj’s election

New Delhi, July 20

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AAP leader Somnath Bharti on Saturday approached the Delhi High Court challenging BJP MP Bansuri Swaraj’s election in the Lok Sabha polls 2024 on the grounds of alleged corrupt practices.

Justice Manmeet PS Arora is scheduled to hear the election petition on July 22.

The plea said while Bharti secured 3,74,815 votes, Swaraj got 4,53,185 votes as per the returning officer. They both contested from the New Delhi parliamentary constituency and Swaraj was declared the winner.

“The present election petition is being filed by the petitioner (Bharti) under Section 80 and 81 of the Representation of the People Act challenging the election of the respondent No.1 (Swaraj) as a Member of House of the people from the New Delhi parliamentary constituency on the grounds of ‘corrupt practices’ indulged into by the respondent No. 1 , her election agent and other persons with the consent of the respondent during the course of the Lok Sabha election held on May 25,” the plea said.

The plea alleged that former AAP minister Raaj Kumar Anand was formally set up as a candidate by the Bahujan Samaj Party, but in reality he was set up by Swaraj’s party to help her against the petitioner.

It said a minister in the AAP government, Anand was campaigning for Bharti till April 9 and suddenly he resigned from the party on April 10. Anand contested the election on the BSP ticket to help Swaraj by cutting into the vote share and later on July 10, he joined the BJP, the plea alleged.