EC to appeal against HC order on prisoners in poll fray

EC has decided to file an appeal in the Supreme Court against Patna HC direction to ban prisoners from entering poll fray.

The Election Commission on Tuesday decided to file an appeal in the Supreme Court challenging a Patna High Court order directing it to consider countermanding elections in constituencies contested by candidates, whose right to vote has been suspended as they are in jails.

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The decision of the Election Commission to approach the Supreme Court on May 5 with a Special Leave Petition (SLP) was taken after one-and-half hour long meeting of the EC.

EC counsel S Muralidhar said, "the main objection to the April 30 High Court order is taken under Article 329 of the Constitution, which bars any court from interfering with the elections once the process is underway".

He said the Commission felt that if the courts start interfering in the election process, it would result in disrupting the entire preparations.

The Patna HC had directed the Commission to consider countermanding elections in constituencies contested by prisoners, whose voting right have been suspended under the election laws.

A Division Bench comprising Chief Justice Ravi S Dhawan and Justice Shashank Kumar Singh had passed the order on two PILs seeking disqualification of those who had entered poll fray from jail and whose voting rights were suspended by the election laws.

The EC should act and act with speed and take a decision on these issues before declaration of results of the polls, the Bench had said.