Gauhati HC issues summons to BJP MP from Assam over alleged poll irregularities

Congress candidate Hafiz Rashid Ahmed Choudhury filed a petition in the court seeking Krimganj MP Kripanath Mallah’s election to be declared null and void

Updated on: Jul 22, 2024, 19:36:12 IST

By Utpal Parashar

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The Gauhati high court on Monday issued summons to Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Lok Sabha MP from Assam’s Krimganj, Kripanath Mallah, for alleged irregularities committed by him during campaigning and on the day of polling in the Parliament elections 2024.

Justice Sanjay Kumar Medhi issued summons to Mallah, the returning officer for the seat and the Election Commission, based on an election petition filed by Hafiz Rashid Ahmed Choudhury, the Congress candidate from the seat, who lost to the winning candidate by a margin of 18,360 votes. Mallah secured 545,093 votes while Choudhury got 526,733.

In his petition, Choudhury alleged that Mallah had indulged in rigging, booth capturing and bribery, and sought his election to be declared null and void.

The petition alleged that booth capturing took place in 47 polling stations, which constitute almost double the number of votes than the margin of victory between Mallah and Choudhury.

Choudhury also questioned the integrity of the voting process. After polling got over in Karimganj, EC stated that total voter turnout in the seat was 11,36,538, which after adding postal ballots totaled to 11,43,796. But on the date of counting, the total number of votes counted in the seat was 11,47,607—an additional 3,811 votes were counted.

Highlighting the need to decide the case in a time-bound manner, the high court issued summons to Mallah, the returning officer and the EC. The next date of hearing in the case has been fixed on August 19.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Utpal Parashar
A seasoned senior journalist, I have nearly three decades of experience across print, digital, and online platforms, covering political transitions, insurgencies, environmental issues, and development stories in India and Nepal. I am skilled in breaking news, leading editorial teams and launch of newspaper editions. I am adept at leveraging digital trends and social media to expand global reach, with a strong ethical foundation and a reputation for impactful journalism. An alumnus of Asian College of Journalism, I joined Hindustan Times in New Delhi as a trainee reporter in May 1997. Over the years, I have been posted in Dehradun, Kathmandu (Nepal) and Guwahati. Currently, as Senior Assistant Editor at Hindustan Times, I lead a team reporting on India’s northeastern states. My work involves in-depth analysis, and engaging multimedia storytelling across formats, including text, photo, video, and interactive content. I am skilled in producing timely, shareable content, leveraging digital platforms and social media to engage global audiences. Throughout my career with the Hindustan Times, I have led diverse editorial teams, designed capacity-building activities, and supported reporters in developing strong story ideas, ethical reporting practices, digital skills, and fact-checking techniques. As Senior Assistant Editor for Northeast India, I have been responsible for guiding correspondents through complex political, humanitarian, and community-level stories using multimedia formats. Earlier, as Foreign Correspondent in Nepal, I produced extensive reporting during Nepal’s democratic transition and the 2015 earthquake and its aftermath.Read More

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