Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): The Supreme Court on Friday told BJP leader Rahul Singh Lodhi to make peace with the fact he was defeated by a woman candidate Chanda Singh Gour of Congress by around 9,000 votes in 2023 Madhya Pradesh assembly election.
A bench of Justices Surya Kant and N Kotiswar Singh sought response from Lodhi on Gour's plea challenging the high court order dismissing her petition over the maintainability of election petition filed by the BJP leader. While issuing notice to Lodhi, the bench directed, "Further proceedings in the election petition shall be deferred."
The bench told Lodhi's counsel, "You appear to be humiliated for having been grounded by a woman candidate by a thumping majority. You have been defeated by a margin of around 9,000 votes. You should reconcile with this fact." It posted the hearing on February 17.
Gour defeated Lodhi from Khargapur assembly seat in Tikamgarh district of the state in the 2023 Assembly election. Lodhi challenged her election from the seat before the high court alleging she filed a wrong affidavit and furnished wrong information in her nomination form. Lodhi, however, won from Damoh Lok Sabha constituency in the 2024 Parliamentary elections.
Senior advocate ANS Nadkarni, appearing for Lodhi, said the election petition was based on the ground that she filed a wrong affidavit. Senior advocate Devadatt Kamat, appearing for Gour, said even if averments made in the election petition were considered to be true, no case of "corrupt practice" was made out.
He said, "The court is bound to examine whether the contents are made out on a bare reading if maintainability of an election petition is challenged."
Gour challenged the October 23 2024 high court order dismissing her plea questioning the maintainability of Lodhi's election petition. She contended before the high court though Lodhi filed an affidavit alleging corrupt practice along with the election petition, it was not in the prescribed format and sought the dismissal of Lodhi's election plea.
Lodhi opposed Gour's petition saying even if the affidavit filed along with election petition was not in prescribed format, it was a curable defect. The high court ruled in favour of Lodhi and dismissed Gour's petition. Aggrieved by the high court's order, Gour approached the apex court. PTI
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