HC asks Sisodia to file response on violations of poll campaign rules

NEW DELHI: Delhi High Court on Thursday asked Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia and others to file a reply on a plea alleging that Sisodia violated poll campaign rules in the recentlyheld Delhi assembly elections.

Justice VK Rao asked AAP leader Sisodia, the Election Commission’s Media Certification and Monitoring Committee (MCMC) and the returning officer to file a reply and listed the matter for further hearing on May 19.

Pratap Chandra, who had contested election as a candidate of Rashtriya Rashtrawadi Party against Sisodia from Patparganj assembly seat and lost it, has also filed a similar petition against Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal for allegedly violating poll campaign norms in the recent assembly elections.

In the matter related to Kejriwal, Justice Mukta Gupta deferred the matter for further hearing in March asking the petitioner to correct some typographical errors in the petition.

Chandra, who had also contested against Kejriwal, in his both petitions has sought elections in the two seats be declared as void and to conduct fresh polls.

Earlier in the day, a bunch of petitions was filed seeking directions for registration of an FIR against Congress leaders Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, AAP leader and Sisodia, AIMIM MP Assaduddin Owaisi and others over their alleged hate speeches.

IN A MATTER RELATED TO KEJRIWAL, JUSTICE MUKTA GUPTA DEFERRED THE MATTER FOR HEARING IN MARCH