Petition Against Candidates

The Election Commission of India has intimated that a total of seventy six election petitions challenging elections of winning candidates were filed in various High Courts in connection with general election to the State Legislative Assemblies of Bihar, Assam, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, Puducherry, Goa, Manipur, Punjab, Uttarkhand and Uttar Pradesh during the last three years (from 2010-2012). Giving this information in written reply to a question in the Lok Sabha today, Shri Salman Khurshid, Minister of Law & Justice, said that under sub-section (7) of section 86 of the Representation of the People Act, 1951, the election petition shall be tried as expeditiously as possible and endeavour shall be made to conclude the trial within six months from the date on which the election petition is presented to the High Court for trial.