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HC rejects Haryana minister’s plea against election petition
The petition filed by Singla in 2024 had alleged that Goel had committed corrupt practices within the meaning of Section 123(3) of the Representation of the People Act, 1951
The Punjab and Haryana high court (HC) has dismissed a plea from Haryana cabinet minister Vipul Goel against the election petition filed by Lakhan Kumar Singla of Congress, challenging October 2024 polls result of Faridabad assembly constituency.
The petition filed by Singla in 2024 had alleged that Goel had committed corrupt practices within the meaning of Section 123(3) of the Representation of the People Act, 1951. His counsel and former Additional Solicitor General of India, Mohan Jain, had contended that the respondent, Goel, had openly made appeals to voters in the name of religion, invoked the name of God, and sought votes in the presence of idols of gods during religious functions and also alleged discrepancies in the battery charge level of the Electronic Voting Machine (EVM’s). The Congress candidate had claimed that the minister got majority votes, where battery percentage of EVMs showed 90% or more and on the other hand EVMs having 60-70% battery level were showing more votes in Congress candidate’s favour at the time of counting, Jain added.
In adjudicating the petition, the court has framed the principal issues in the matter--whether Goel, has indulged in corrupt practices as defined under Section 123(3) of the Representation of the People Act, 1951, as specifically pleaded in the election petition and also regarding the battery percentage of Electronic Voting Machine (EVM’s).
While proceedings were on, the minister had filed an application seeking dismissal of the petition. In deciding that the court has dismissed the minister’s application and said that the election petition of Singla “deserved adjudication on merits”. The petition will be taken up for further hearing on May 29. Goel had won the seat by a margin of 48,388 votes.
