Delhi HC refers to larger bench plea by BJP's Yogender Chandolia against AAP MLA Vishesh Ravi's election

New Delhi, Jan 13 (PTI) The Delhi High Court on Tuesday referred to a larger bench a petition by BJP leader Yogender Chandolia challenging the election of AAP's Vishesh Ravi from the capital's Karol Bagh assembly constituency in February 2020.

"The matter is referred to a larger bench. I am not inclined to agree with the view of the coordinate bench," said Justice Subramonium Prasad.

A detailed copy of the judgement is awaited.

In his election petition filed in 2020, Chandolia, who was fielded by the BJP against Ravi from Karol Bagh constituency, alleged that, among other things, the AAP MLA's educational qualification in his nomination affidavit filed for the polls was incorrect.

Chandolia alleged that Ravi's claim that he passed the class 10 examination via the National Institute of Open Schooling in 2003 was false.

He thus prayed that the election result for Karol Bagh seat should be declared null and void.

In December 2020, the high court refused to reject the election petition based on Ravi's claim that it did not disclose a cause of action.

The high court observed that the election petition showed that there were assertions to demonstrate that the AAP MLA "has been taking inconsistent stands concerning the highest educational qualification secured by him".

It then held that a false declaration about a candidate's educational qualification could be brought within the ambit of corrupt practice under the Representation of the People Act, 1951. PTI ADS DIV DIV