New Delhi, May 04: The Election Commission today decided to file an appeal in the Supreme Court challenging a Patna High Court order directing it to consider countermanding elections in constituencies contested by candidates, whose right to vote has been suspended as they are in jails.
The decision of the Election Commission to approach the Supreme Court tomorrow with a special leave petition (SLP) was taken after one-and-half hour long meeting of the EC.

EC counsel S Muralidhar told "the main objection to the April 30 high court order is taken under Article 329 of the Constitution which bars any court from interfering with the elections once the process is underway".

He said the commission felt that if the courts start interfering in the election process, it would result in disrupting the entire preparations.

The Patna HC had directed the commission to consider countermanding elections in constituencies contested by prisoners, whose voting right have been suspended under the election laws.

A division bench comprising Chief Justice Ravi S Dhawan and Justice Shashank Kumar Singh had passed the order on two PILs seeking disqualification of those who had entered poll fray from jail and whose voting rights were suspended by the election laws.

The bench also ordered the commission to consider countermanding elections in the constituencies where proclaimed absconders had cast their vote.
The EC should act and act with speed and take a decision on these issues before declaration of results of the polls, the bench had said.

Commission spokesman A N Jha told reporters "in respect of the Patna High Court order regarding the nomination of candidates in custody and conduct of elections, the Election Commission is filing a special leave petition in the Supreme Court and details will be placed in the honourable court"

"Pleading will take place before them (apex court)" and the petition would be filed "at the earliest", he said.
Bureau Report