SC to hear plea on RS election row

The Supreme Court on Thursday declined to give an urgent hearing to a petition challenging the Election Commission's decision to hold separate elections for filling up three vacant seats in the Rajya Sabha from Maharashtra.

The Supreme Court on Thursday declined to give an urgent hearing to a petition challenging the Election Commission's decision to hold separate elections for filling up three vacant seats in the Rajya Sabha from Maharashtra.

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A Bench comprising Chief Justice K G Balakrishnan and Justices P Sathasivam and A K Ganguly said it was not in favour of issuing a notice and would hear the matter in routine course on August 3.

"We are not issuing any notice. It is coming for hearing on August 3," the Bench said when senior advocate M N Krishnamani, appearing for Rahul S Narwekar, a Shiv Sena aspirant for one of the seats, challenged the holding of three separate elections by way of separate notifications.

Narwekar alleged the Election Commission's decision to hold three separate elections by way of separate notifications was intended to ensure victory of Congress-NCP combine in violation of proportional voting system.

The petitioner contended if separate elections are held, then the ruling party having sufficient majority would be able to get all its candidates elected.