SC dismisses Chouhan's appeal against election petition

New Delhi, Feb 2 (UNI) The Supreme Court today dismissed an appeal filed by Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan against a petition filed by his Congress rival Rajkumar Patel challenging his election to the State Assembly in the byelections held in 2006.

A Bench, comprising Chief Justice K G Balakrishnan and Justice D K Jain, dismissed the petition filed by the Chief Minister challenging the Madhya Pradesh High Court judgement.

Mr Chouhan had challenged the maintainability on the grounds that the petition was not signed by the petitioner, which was mandatory and hence it was liable to be dismissed.

The apex court, however, ruled that the petitioner had signed every page of the petition and the verification on the last page had also been signed by him. Therefore, the challenge on the grounds fails.

The Bench, however, directed the High Court, where the election petition is pending, to consider this lacunae while deciding the election petition on merits.

Mr Patel had challenged the election of Mr Chouhan alleging of corrupt and malpractices indulged in by the Chief Minister as well as his party by exploiting the religious sentiments of a particular communuty.

UNI