H C dismisses Petition challenging election of Supriya Sule

Mumbai, Apr 30 (UNI) The Bombay High Court today dismissed an election petition, challenging Supriya Sule's election to the Rajya Sabha on the grounds that the petitioner had no locus stand in the issue.

Ms Sule, daughter of Maratha strongman and Union Agriculture minister Sharad Pawar, was elected unopposed to the Rajya Sabha last year.

While dismissing the election petition, Justice R S Mohite upheld the primary objection, raised by Ms Sule, that the petitioner Vinod Vare had no locus standi to file such an petition.

The court accepted her contention that the petitioner was neither a contesting candidate nor a member of the electoral college to the concerned election.

Today's verdict of the court implies that an ordinary electoral can not challenge election of members to the upper house of Parliament, as only members of state assembly are voters for Rajya Sabha election.

Vare, a resident of Mumbai, had challenged Sule's election on the ground that she was not qualified for RS membership as she possessed dual citizenship at the time of filing nomination for the election.

He had contended that Sule possessed Singapore citizenship, apart from an Indian one.

UNI