Chadha challenges Bidhuri's nomination, moves HC

New Delhi: AAP's South Delhi Lok Sabha candidate Raghav Chadha on Saturday approached the Delhi High Court challenging the decision of returning officer to accept BJP candidate Ramesh Bidhuri's nomination papers.

Chadha claimed in his plea that the returning officer (RO) overlooked "glaring discrepancies in Bidhuri's nomination" and it was accepted without application of mind on the ground that they do not have any power to reject a nomination once an affidavit is filed, regardless of any concealment therein. Bidhuri is also contesting from the South Delhi constituency.

"The respondent no 2 (Bidhuri) had 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," Chadha said in the petition filed through advocate R Arunadhri Iyer.

The plea sought direction to call for the records and quash the returning officer's April 24 order. It also sought direction to the RO to scrutinise the nomination of Bidhuri in accordance with various directions of the Supreme Court. The RO's decision is "arbitrary, illegal, unsustainable and ought to be quashed", the AAP candidate said.

"The impugned order failed to appreciate that every citizen in India has an unimpeachable and indefeasible fundamental right to information about the candidate they are called upon to vote for, which ought to not be rendered nugatory by an abdication of duty at the time of scrutiny," the plea added.

Backing Chadha's claims, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said the charges against Bidhuri are very serious. "He is sure to be disqualified. South Delhi voters should not waste their vote on him," Kejriwal said.

Reacting to the development, Bidhuri accused the ruling party in Delhi of "engineering a conspiracy against him". "All the facts and papers submitted in my nomination are true. AAP leaders are conspiring against me because they are losing the Lok Sabha election," the BJP leader said.

"I have earlier fought and won assembly and Lok Sabha election and nothing wrong was ever found in my nominations. The AAP is running propaganda against me to distract me from campaigning, but people will give them a befitting reply," he added.