Himachal High Court hears arguments in contested Rajya Sabha election case
The Himachal Pradesh High Court recently wrapped up arguments in a high-stakes election petition filed by Congress leader and former Rajya Sabha MP Abhishek Manu Singhvi. The petition challenges the results of the February 27 Rajya Sabha election in the state, where Singhvi narrowly lost to BJP’s Harsh Mahajan.
Justice Jyotsana Rewal Dua, who presided over the hearing, had earlier turned down a request from Mahajan to delay the proceedings due to the upcoming Rajya Sabha elections in Telangana on September 3. Mahajan’s legal team pushed for the dismissal of Singhvi’s petition, which disputes the election outcome, citing an allegedly unfair tie-breaking process.
The February 27 election was a nail-biter. Despite Congress holding a majority with 40 MLAs, the race between Singhvi and Mahajan ended in a tie, with each securing 34 votes. The deadlock was broken through a lottery system, which declared Mahajan the winner. Singhvi, however, has raised concerns about the fairness of this tie-breaking method, arguing that it wasn’t properly applied.
Mahajan had sought a postponement, arguing that Singhvi’s participation in the upcoming Telangana Rajya Sabha election could impact the ongoing case. However, the court denied this request and continued with the arguments. The court will resume the case tomorrow at 3 p.m. for further discussions.
The outcome of this petition could have a significant impact, not just on these two leaders, but also on the broader political landscape, especially regarding how election procedures are handled in closely contested races.
