Sampla moves HC against plea challenging his election

CHANDIGARH: Union minister and Hoshiarpur MP Vijay Sampla filed an application in the Punjab and Haryana high court on Wednesday, seeking dismissal of a petition challenging his election.

The application stated that since the petition challenging his election was filed after the expiry of the limitation period, it was not maintainable. “The results were declared on May 16. The election petition should be filed within 45 days of the declaration of the results. However, the said petition was filed on June 30,” said Sampla in his application.

Inderpal Singh of Hoshiarpur has sought Sampla’s disqualification alleging that the latter was seen seeking votes in the name of religion in advertisements that were aired on television channels at the time of elections. It was also alleged that Sampla did not declare the exact expenditure incurred on advertisements and election rallies.

Sampla has told the court that in May last year an election petition challenging Bathinda MP and union minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal’s election was dismissed by the HC on the ground that the petition was filed after the limitation period.