New Delhi, Feb 25: The Delhi high court Tuesday directed former Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal and former minister Somnath Bharti to retort at intervals period on a plea seeking cancellation of their election for surpassing the expenditure limit in assembly polls.
The court wanted their response by 17 seventeen on petitions by Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders Vijender Gupta and Arti Mehra alleging that Kejriwal and Bharti every spent beyond the statutory limit of Rs.14 lakh.
Justice Vipin Sanghi granted 2 a lot of weeks’ time to Kejriwal, as wanted by his counsel on Gupta’s plea. Justice G.S. Sistani too asked Bharti to retort on Mehra’s plea at intervals period.
During the hearing, Justice Sistani asked the BJP leaders’ counsel regarding the result of the chief minister’s resignation within the case.
“What is the result of resignation of chief minister on this petition? what will be the result if you succeeded within the case,” asked the court.
The BJP leaders professional replied: “It’s an election petition. Resignation of CM can have no result within the case and the case will carry on when his resignation. They (Kejriwal and Bharti) cannot contest election for 6 years if we succeed.”
They alleged that the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leaders spent quite Rs.17 lakh every within the elections command Dec 4 and urged the high court to declare their election null and void.
As per the election commission, each willdidate can pay Rs.14 lakh on an assembly election, said Gupta, former chief of the Delhi BJP. Mehra is former town mayor.
Both Kejriwal and Bharti indulged in “corrupt practices” and incurred vast expenditure of nearly Rs 94.80 lakh throughout the campaign by organising a rock show “Jeet Ki Gunj, Vote for Change” Nov 23, 2013 at Jantar Mantar when filing their nomination papers. several singers and Bollywood personalities performed at the event and every one of them charged Rs.3-10 lakh, that was paid by Kejriwal, Gupta alleged.
Filing the petitions through advocate Ajay Digpaul, Gupta rapt the court against Kejriwal, his rival from the New Delhi body.
Mehra moved court against Bharti, who defeated her within the Malviya Nagar constituency. The plea aforesaid Kejriwal influenced voters through such a huge concert, thereby moving the end result of the election.
“The concert was publicised through newspapers, TV and radio to draw in voters. Elaborate arrangements were place in situ and therefore the programme was attended by quite 20,000 people,” aforesaid the plea.
The BJP leaders defendant Kejriwal and Bharti of violating the Model Code of Conduct issued by the election commission, the provisions of the illustration of people Act and conjointly the principles of the Constitution on free and truthful elections.