In a setback to ruling Bharatiya Janata Party in Madhya Pradesh, the Indore bench of the State High Court declared election of party MlA from Dhar null and void, in response to a petition which accused Neena Verma of offering incomplete information in her nomination during the 2013 election.
Interestingly, it is the second instance when the court has nullified election of Neena Verma, wife of former Union Minister and once a BJP stalwart, Vikram Verma In 2013, Suresh Chandra Bhandari had filed the petition against Neena accusing her of concealing information leaving 21 columns blank, including about her family, liabilities, assets and so on in her nomination paper.
The single judge bench of justice Alok Verma, who retires a week later, had reserved the verdict on September 21 and on Monday, pronouncing the decision, annulled her election.
Earlier, the HC had in 2012 nullified her election she won against Balmukund Singh Gautam of the Congress by a solitary vote during recounting process in 2008. Gautam later had challenged the election over alleged violation of recounting rules. The 57-year-old BJP lawmaker is expected to move the Supreme Court against the HC verdict shortly.
Former Union Minister and husband of Neena Verma, Vikram Verma said that the certified copy of the verdict is yet to arrive.
Besides, the court has given stay on its order for 45 days for appeal. He said, "We have not committed any mistake. We would challenge the order in the Supreme Court."