SC asks petitioner to file affidavit against directions to Centre,EC

New Delhi, July 31 (UNI) The Supreme Court today directed the petitioner of a PIL, seeking directions to the Centre and the Election Commission to permit only the recognised national political parties to contest the general election, to file an additional affidavit stating therein how such directions can be issued.

A division bench, comprising Chief Justice Y K Sabharwal, Justice G P Mathur and Justice C K Thakker, issued the directions to petitioner Kandasamy Singh, an advocate, when he pleaded that regional parties have local interests and when they contest general elections, issues concerning the whole country get sidelined.

Mr Singh also pleaded that these regional parties, who have considerable strength in Parliament, are sometimes responsible for the fall of government at the Centre.

The petitioner also pleaded that such local parties should confine only to their areas of influence and only parties having national base should be permitted to contest Lok Sabha elections so that national issues get highlighted.

The Court had earlier also issued notices on the petitioner.

UNI AKS/SC KD DB2037