Delhi High Court Upholds AIMIM's Political Registration

The Delhi High Court has rejected a plea to cancel the All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen's political registration, validating the Election Commission's decision. The court found that AIMIM complied with Section 29A (5) of the Representation of People Act after amending its constitution to align with legal requirements.

The Delhi High Court has affirmed the decision of the Election Commission of India to register the All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) as a political party. The Division Bench, comprised of Justices Vibhu Bakhru and Tushar Rao Gedela, turned down a petition seeking to cancel the AIMIM's registration, supporting the previous ruling of a Single Judge.

The petitioner claimed that AIMIM should be deregistered, alleging that the party's constitution violated Section 29A (5) of the Representation of People Act by exclusively serving a single religious community's interests. The court's decision stressed that AIMIM had amended its constitution to adhere to the statutory provisions of Section 29A (5) of the RP Act, thereby negating the grounds for deregistration.

Justice Vibhu Bakhru stated, "We find no infirmity with the conclusion of the learned Single Judge that the requirements of Section 29A (5) of the Act are fully satisfied." The court further noted that the criteria set out in Section 123 of the Act, relating primarily to election outcomes and candidate disqualifications, were not pertinent to the registration criteria for political parties.

(With inputs from agencies.)