HC voids Gujarat minister’s poll win; EC to study order

NEWDELHI: The Election Commission of India has decided to set up a three-member committee to look into the Gujarat high court verdict that invalidated the election of state education and law minister Bhupendrasinh Chudasama.

The minister had been elected from the Dholka assembly constituency in the 2017 assembly elections.

The high court on Tuesday ruled that he won the poll through “corrupt practices” after a petition was moved by Congress leader Ashwin Rathod, who lost the election to Chudasama by a mere 327 votes.

The EC-appointed panel will examine the details of the judgment and present it before the Commission “at the earliest”.

The Commission has also directed the Gujarat government to “initiate disciplinary action against the returning officer Dhaval Jani,” who oversaw the election. “The proceedings are underway,” states the release.

The high court had also made scathing observations on the returning officer, stating that he had “allowed himself to be used as a tool” by Chudasama adding that he “obediently behaved and danced to the tunes” of the BJP minister.

Meanwhile, senior Congress leader Kapil Sibal asked Prime Minister Narendra Modi to expel Chudasama from the party. Questioning the Prime Minister’s “silence” on the issue, Sibal said if he was serious on ending corruption, he should take action against the minister from his home state. “This is an example of how our governments, ministers, EC are engulfed in corruption and Modi ji is silent,” he said.

THE EC-APPOINTED PANEL WILL EXAMINE THE DETAILS OF THE JUDGMENT AND PRESENT IT BEFORE THE COMMISSION “AT THE EARLIEST”