Summary:
INDORE: Three petitions challenging the election of MLAs Mahendra Hardia and minister Tulsiram Silawat have been filed before the Madhya Pradesh high court by the rival candidates citing poll code violations by them.January 25 was the last date for filing election petitions against the MP Assembly elections held in 2018. The cases will now be sent to the respective benches of the high court having jurisdiction over the constituencies.Two petitions have been filed against public health and family welfare minister from Sanwer Tulsiram Silawat. While one has been filed by BJP candidate from Sanwer Rajesh Sonkar, the other has been filed by independent candidate Rahul Silawat.Both the petitioners have alleged that Silawat resorted to unfair practices during electioneering, violated election commission’s guidelines and had also withheld information from the commission in his affidavits and nomination forms.Citing one incident they alleged, “Silawat had campaigned riding a bullock cart, which is a violation of EC’s rules that prohibit use of living animals for any election purposes,” advocate Pushyamitra Bhargav, counsel for petitioners in both the petitions said.The petitioners have also submitted that Silawat had not attached his photograph in his affidavit, which was a sufficient ground for rejecting his nomination form.A petition has also been filed against election of Mahendra Hardia from Indore 5 constituency seeking his election to be declared null and void.A total of 29 election petitions have been filed before the Madhya Pradesh high court against various MLAs, including those against agriculture minister and Kasrawad MLA Sachin Yadav, Garoth MLA Devilal Dhakad, Mahidpur MLA Bahadursingh Chouhan, Harsud MLA Vijay Shah..