The Allahabad high court dismissed a PIL seeking disqualification of 99 Congress MPs on Tuesday, saying that the court is dissatisfied with regard to the bona fides and credentials of the petitioner.
It was alleged through the PIL that the MPs benefited from the Ghar Ghar Guarantee scheme. While dismissing the PIL filed by one Bharti Devi of Fatehpur, a division bench comprising justice Manoj Kumar Gupta and justice Manish Kumar Nigam, however, gave liberty to the petitioner to file a fresh petition after making required disclosures, if so advised.
As per high court rules, a person while filing a PIL, must disclose that he had filed this PIL without ulterior motives and has no vested interest in it.
In the PIL, the petitioner had sought disqualification of 99 Congress MPs, who benefitted from the Ghar Ghar Guarantee Scheme, which involves distribution of guarantee cards promising various financial and material benefits in exchange of votes, which according to the petitioner amounts to ‘bribery’ under the Representation of People’s Act.
The PIL had also sought action against the Election Commission of India (ECI), accusing it of failing to act against the Indian National Congress (INC) over its controversial ‘Ghar Ghar Guarantee’ scheme. The petitioner had called for urgent judicial intervention to uphold electoral integrity.
{{/usCountry}}The PIL had also sought action against the Election Commission of India (ECI), accusing it of failing to act against the Indian National Congress (INC) over its controversial ‘Ghar Ghar Guarantee’ scheme. The petitioner had called for urgent judicial intervention to uphold electoral integrity.
{{/usCountry}}According to the PIL, despite the ECI’s advisory issued on May 2, 2024, warning political parties against such practices, the petition alleges that the INC continued its distribution of these cards, compromising the fairness of the electoral process.