A Division Bench of Chhattisgarh High Court had issued a notice to the Election Commission of India on a petition to de-recognise two national political parties – BJP and the Congress Party.
Hearing on the plea, a division bench comprising Chief Justice Rajeev Gupta and Justice Sunil Kumar Sinha sought the reply from the Election Commission (EC) on why not the petition should be accepted for hearing.
Earlier the single bench of Justice S K Agnihotri before transferring the plea to the Division Bench of the HC had added two more queries in the given case and asked whether the advertisement offers by the parties during the poll campaign violated the election code of conduct and the sops given to electorates will come under the category of corrupt practices.
The court issued the notice on a petition filed by senior advocate V G Tamaskar based in Bilaspur seeking directive to the EC to de-recognise two main political parties, for misguiding the electorate and violating various provisions of the Constitution during the November 2008 assembly polls. Besides seeking cancellation of registration of both the parties, the petitioner has also sought invalidating the election for Legislative assembly held on November 14 and 20 last year in Chhattisgarh.
According to Tamaskar both the ruling BJP and the opposition Congress during the assembly election got published and circulated through local newspapers various alluring promises which amounted to corrupt practices to influence the voters before they exercise their franchise.
“By promising free salt, free power to farmers and cheap rice to the poor the BJP and Congress violated section 14 of the Constitution that assures equal right to every citizen of the country. It amounts to offering bribe to the voters to garner votes and in the process the voters were divided – Below Poverty Line (BPL) voters who were beneficiaries and others who do not derive any such benefits or concession from the government which again is the violation of Representation of People’s Act 1951”, said the petitioner.
Tamaskar also alleged in his petition that the fraudulent character of BJP remains exposed when after declaring during 1996 and 1998 general election their commitment on construction of Ram Temple, abolition of Article 370 and adoption of Common Civil Code, these were conveniently given up after the party captured power.