AAP's Raghav challenges Bidhuri's LS election

New Delhi: AAP leader Raghav Chadha on Thursday approached the Delhi High Court challenging the results of Lok Sabha election of South Delhi constituency which declared BJP's Ramesh Bidhuri as elected.

Chadha had also contested from the constituency, where Bidhuri won by over 3.6 lakh votes. The petition, which cites incomplete disclosure of information by Bidhuri in his affidavit as a candidate, is listed for hearing on Friday before Justice Sanjeev Narula.

The plea sought that the election results declaring Bidhuri as the winning candidate be held as void and Chadha, who secured the next highest tally of votes in the constituency, be declared as the winning candidate.

The petition, filed through advocate R Arunadhri Iyer, contended that the election of Bidhuri was vitiated by the "corrupt practices of undue influence committed by the candidate inasmuch as by failing to disclose material particulars regarding his antecedents..." The plea, said, "The BJP candidate willfully and intentionally concealed the factum of registration of an FIR against him in Police Station... Muzaffarpur, Bihar, under sections 504, 506, 153 and 153(a) of the IPC."

The petition alleged that Bidhuri had declared false income as also of his wife. It claimed that by not disclosing fully or publicising particulars of his criminal antecedents, the BJP candidate has committed the corrupt practice of undue influence in the exercise of electoral rights of the citizens of the national capital.

"The returning officer erred in accepting the nomination of the BJP candidate when he wilfully and intentionally failed to comply with the mandates of the Act, the Rules made thereunder as well as the directions of the Supreme Court," it said. Besides others, Bidhuri and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) have been arrayed as parties in the election petition.