Supreme Court Defers Maneka Gandhi's Sultanpur Election Challenge

The Supreme Court postponed the hearing on Maneka Gandhi's plea against Ram Bhual Nishad’s election to December 2. Gandhi claimed that voters weren't informed about Nishad's full criminal history. Her challenge followed the Allahabad High Court’s dismissal due to the time-barred petition, exceeding the 45-day limit.

The Supreme Court has postponed the hearing on a plea by former union minister Maneka Gandhi, challenging the election of Ram Bhual Nishad from the Sultanpur Lok Sabha seat. This decision was taken on Friday by a bench comprising Justices Surya Kant and Ujjal Bhuyan.

The court has scheduled the next hearing for December 2 and asked Gandhi's legal representative, senior advocate Siddharth Luthra, to submit the application for condonation of delay, which pertains to extending the time limit for filing an appeal.

Gandhi lost the seat by a margin of 43,174 votes in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. Her petition against Nishad's election, which highlighted his incomplete disclosure of pending criminal cases, was previously dismissed by the Allahabad High Court as it was filed beyond the statutory 45-day deadline.

(With inputs from agencies.)