THE MP High Court here today dismissed a PIL seeking direction to fix the responsibility of recovering the expenditure being borne the government in holding the Budhni by-election, alleging that the polls are being held for personal gain and not for public good.
The PIL stated that the by-election weren’t necessary given the fact that the sitting MLA from Budhni, Rajendra Singh, had resigned merely to nurse the personal ambition of a particular person belonging to his party, who is the Chief Minister.
The PIL said if Shivraj Singh Chouhan gets elected to the MP Assembly from Budhni seat, he would have to resign from the Vidisha Parliamentary seat, and subsequently the by-election would take place there.
The holding of by-polls in Vidisha would again put burden on the government exchequer, he added.A division bench comprising Chief Justice A K Patnaik and Justice Ajit Singh dismissed the petition with observation that there was no provision in the Constitution of India or any other law to ensure recovery of the expenses of the by-election.
The petitioner’s counsel, N S Ruprah, argued that Singh resigned only to accommodate and assure that Chouhan retained the chief minister’s post.
The petitioner’s counsel, N S Ruprah, argued that Singh resigned only to accommodate and assure that Chouhan retained the chief minister’s post.