High Court of Chhattisgarh on Monday issued notice to Member of Parliament (Rajya Sabha) Saroj Pandey over her election. Congress candidate, lekhram Sahu, who was defeated by Pandey in the election had pleaded before the court that 11 among the proposers who proposed for Pandey were Parliamentary Secretaries and 7 were Chairpersons of various Boards and Corporations. As their eligibility in the House was in question and that the matter is already pending before the High Court.
The petitioner Sahu pleaded that as the proposers were enjoying the office of profit and a matter regarding their eligibility to the state assembly was pending with the high court, their votes must be termed as invalid.
Counsel of the petitioner Sudip Shrivastava informed that apart from objection raised over the voting powers of Parliamentary Secretaries and Chairpersons of Corporations and Boards, there were other shortcomings too in the nomination papers filed by Pandey.
Notable, Pandey defeated Sahu in the recently held Rajya Sabha elections by 15 votes and secured her berth to the Upper House of the Parliament. Earlier too Congress has raised the demand from the Chhattisgarh Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) and the State Governor not to give voting powers to 11 of the Parliamentary Secretaries and 7 of the MlAs posted as Chairman of various Boards and Corporations in the state. The plea was then rejected by the CEO and the Governor. Aggrieved, Sahu after his defeat had approached the High Court at Bilaspur.
Meanwhile, in another case, filed by former Raipur Mayor Kiranmayee Nayak and her husband against Agriculture Minister Brijmohan Agrawal, High Court has issued notice to state government to submit the reply within two weeks.
HC had earlier issued similar notice, but state government has not submitted the reply on Monday.