Election Petition – Rajasthan High Court Keeps ECI in Jaipur Rural Poll Case
Election Petition – The Rajasthan High Court has declined the Election Commission of India’s request to remove itself from an election petition related to the 2024 Lok Sabha election from the Jaipur Rural constituency. The court held that the Commission and other election authorities must remain part of the proceedings because of questions surrounding cancelled postal ballots, an issue considered central to the dispute.
Court Finds Election Authorities Necessary to the Proceedings
Justice Vinod Kumar Bharwani rejected the Election Commission’s plea to be excluded from the case, directing that the Election Commission of India, the Chief Election Commissioner, the District Election Officer, and the Returning Officer will continue as respondents in the ongoing election petition.
The court noted that the case raises significant questions about the handling of postal ballots during the counting process. Since these issues directly involve election officials, their participation is considered essential for a fair examination of the facts.
Victory Margin Smaller Than Cancelled Postal Ballots
A key factor influencing the court’s decision was the narrow margin of victory in the Jaipur Rural Lok Sabha constituency. BJP candidate Rao Rajendra Singh secured the seat by defeating Congress candidate Anil Chopra with a margin of 1,615 votes.
According to the court, the number of cancelled postal ballots was greater than this winning margin. As a result, the issue carries substantial relevance in determining whether the election process was conducted properly, making the Election Commission an important party in the legal proceedings.
Discrepancy in Postal Ballot Figures Comes Under Focus
During the hearing, the court examined two different sets of figures relating to cancelled postal ballots.
On the day the election results were announced, June 4, 2024, the Returning Officer reportedly informed the petitioner that 1,225 postal ballots had been cancelled. However, information later obtained through the Right to Information (RTI) Act indicated that the number of cancelled postal ballots stood at 2,738.
The court observed that both figures originated from the Election Commission for the same date. The difference between these numbers has become one of the primary issues in the election challenge and requires detailed judicial examination.
Election Commission’s Legal Argument Rejected
The Election Commission argued before the court that, under the Representation of the People Act, 1951, it should not be treated as a party in an election petition. According to its submission, election disputes are generally matters between the contesting candidates rather than the Commission itself.
After considering the submissions, the court concluded that the circumstances of the present case differ because the disputed postal ballot data is directly connected with the actions and records maintained by election authorities. Consequently, the application seeking removal from the case was dismissed.
Congress Candidate Questions Counting Process
Representing Congress candidate Anil Chopra, legal counsel argued that the unusually close result and the higher number of cancelled postal ballots made it necessary for the Election Commission to clarify the conflicting records.
The petition maintains that the inconsistency in the official figures forms the principal basis for questioning the validity of the election result. The petitioner has requested judicial scrutiny of the counting process to determine whether any irregularities affected the final outcome.
Background of the Jaipur Rural Election Dispute
Following the declaration of results in the 2024 Lok Sabha election, Anil Chopra alleged irregularities during vote counting and staged a protest inside the Returning Officer’s office at the counting centre. He demanded a recount of votes, but election officials carried out only a re-tally of the recorded figures instead of conducting a fresh count.
After leaving the counting venue, Chopra addressed his supporters and stated that although he had received more than six lakh votes, he did not accept the declared outcome. He further alleged that administrative actions had influenced the election process.
The election petition challenging the Jaipur Rural Lok Sabha result remains pending before the Rajasthan High Court, where further hearings will determine the next course of the legal proceedings.