Petition against Sonia rejected

Lucknow, Jan 12 (UNI) The Allahabad High Court today rejected a writ petition of Janata Party leader Subhramanyam Swami challenging the nomination of Congress president Sonia Gandhi from the Rae Bareli parliamentary seat in 2004.

A Lucknow division bench of the HC, comprising Justices Jagdish Bhalla and B D Sharma, dismissed the writ as not maintainable.

The writ claimed that Ms Gandhi was not educated at Cambridge University, as mentioned in her affidavit during the Lok Sabha nomination in 2004.

Representing the Chief Election Commissioner, Dr Ashok Nigam contended since a similar writ of the petitioner had been already been rejected in Rae Bareli, it was not maintainable.

In 2004, Mr Swami had filed an election petition in Rae Bareli against the Congress chief, which was rejected.

Later, the Janata Party leader filed a writ in the Lucknow Bench of the HC.

UNI