Hoshiyar Singh challenges Kamlesh Kumari’s Dehra By-Poll win in High Court
Photo source: Internet
Shimla, Sept 3,
The outcome of the recent Dehra by-election has reached the Himachal Pradesh High Court, with BJP nominee Hoshiyar Singh filing a petition on Monday contesting the victory of Congress candidate Kamlesh Kumari, wife of Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu.
In his plea, Singh has alleged that the Chief Minister misused the state apparatus to tilt the election in his wife’s favour. He claimed that during the Model Code of Conduct period, funds were transferred to women’s self-help groups (SHGs) in the constituency, a move that allegedly swayed voters.
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The BJP has also raised objections, stating that disbursements were made through the Kangra Central Cooperative Bank merely a week before polling. According to party leaders, these transactions amounted to an inducement of voters and were in violation of the Election Commission’s guidelines.
Calling the act tantamount to “cash for votes,” the party has demanded that Kumari’s election be annulled.
Legal observers note that the case could set a precedent, as the court will assess whether the release of cooperative bank funds during the poll code period constitutes a corrupt electoral practice under the Representation of People Act, 1951. The ruling, they add, may carry significant political weight in the state’s current landscape.
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