New Delhi, Jan 17: In a significant development, the Supreme Court today allowed change of focus of a petition challenging the electoral reforms ordinance to that of the act, which recently got the presidential assent after being passed by both Houses of Parliament. A three-judge bench headed by justice m b shah allowed the plea of people's union for civil liberties to treat its petition as the one challenging the constitutional validity of the Representation of People (amendment) Act incorporating various reforms in electoral laws including steps to stop criminalisation of politics. The bench, however, gave time to the union government and other parties to the matter till Friday to file their written submissions on the change of the focus of the petition from the ordinance to the act.

PUCL and others had challenged the validity of the ordinance and during the pendency of the petition in the Supreme Court, the electoral reforms bill was passed by Parliament. The bench agreed with the petitioners that as the provisions of ordinance, which were challenged by them, were taken as it is in the act, there was no harm in allowing amendment in the prayers of the petitions.

Bureau Report