Delhi HC Issues Notice In Plea Challenging Election of Parvesh Varma
The petition was filed by Vishvanath Agarwal, alleging that he was prevented from filing his nomination for the New Delhi seat. According to Agarwal, his nomination form was not accepted despite being present at the returning officer's office before the 3 p.m. deadline on January 17, 2025. He contended that this action unjustly excluded him from the electoral process. His plea sought to nullify the election results for the New Delhi constituency and requested that the ECI conduct fresh elections for the seat.
The Delhi High Court has issued a notice to Public Works Department Minister Parvesh Verma in response to a petition challenging his election from the New Delhi constituency in the 2025 Assembly elections. The bench of Justice Jasmeet Singh directed the Election Commission of India (ECI) and 23 candidates, including AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal and Congress leader Sandeep Dikshit, to submit their responses, with the next hearing scheduled for May 27, 2025.
Per ABP Live, a criminal complaint was filed against Verma for allegedly distributing cash to voters in an attempt to influence the election outcome. The complaint, lodged at New Delhi's Barakhamba police station, accused Verma of offering bribes to voters, actions that degrade the political environment and jeopardize a level playing field.
Per another report by ZeeNews, Arvind Kejriwal had alleged that Verma was involved in corrupt practices, including distributing money and organizing health camps to influence voters. The Election Commission, thereafter, ordered a probe into allegations against Verma concerning the inclusion of fake voters in the electoral rolls.
Per another report by the Economic Times, the scrutiny of nominations for the Delhi Assembly elections resulted in 1,040 nominations being accepted and 477 being rejected. Notably, the nominations of Arvind Kejriwal, Parvesh Verma, and Sandeep Dikshit were accepted, leading to the high-profile contest in the New Delhi constituency.
Case Title: Vishvanath Agarwal v. ECI
[Inputs: The Hindu]