The Supreme Court has issued a notice to the Madhya Pradesh State Election Commission regarding a petition by Congress MLA Chanda Singh Gaur against BJP MP Rahul Singh Lodhi. Lodhi claims Gaur’s affidavit contained errors. The High Court favored Lodhi, leading Gaur to appeal, initiating further legal scrutiny in this electoral dispute. Responses are due in four weeks.
New Delhi: The Supreme Court has issued a notice to the Madhya Pradesh State Election Commission and others in response to a petition filed by Congress MLA Chanda Singh Gaur. The respondents have been asked to reply within four weeks. The matter is being heard by a bench comprising Justice Suryakant and Justice Ujjwal Bhuiyan.
During the hearing, Justice Surya kant remarked to senior advocate Atmaram Nadkarni, representing BJP MP Rahul Singh Lodhi:
“Apart from the fact that you must be feeling humiliated that you have been ousted from the field by a woman and that too with a huge majority, you should reconcile, people voted in his favour with 9000 votes.”
In the previous hearing, the Supreme Court emphasized the need to examine the prescribed format of the affidavit under Section 83 of the Representation of the People Act. The issue revolves around the affidavit filed in this case.
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Chanda Singh Gaur has challenged an election petition filed by BJP MP Rahul Singh Lodhi, alleging that Gaur provided incorrect information in her affidavit. The petition was earlier dismissed by the Madhya Pradesh High Court, prompting Gaur to escalate the matter to the Supreme Court.
The controversy stems from the 2023 Madhya Pradesh Assembly elections, where Rahul Singh Lodhi contested the election results from the Kharagpur constituency in District Tikamgarh. Lodhi alleged that Gaur’s affidavit contained incorrect information. Gaur, in her defense, sought the dismissal of Lodhi’s election petition, arguing that his affidavit did not adhere to the prescribed format.
However, Lodhi maintained that any defect in the affidavit format is correctable and does not warrant dismissal of the petition. The Madhya Pradesh High Court ruled in Lodhi’s favor, stating that the affidavit met the required format and dismissed Gaur’s plea.
The Supreme Court’s notice to the Madhya Pradesh State Election Commission has set the stage for further scrutiny of the case. The response from the respondents, due in four weeks, will determine the trajectory of this legal battle.
Case Title: CHANDA SINGH GAUR v. RAHUL SINGH LODHI, SLP(C) No. 29490/2024
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