A bench of Justice Amit Bansal on Wednesday threw out a petition contesting Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) president Chirag Paswan’s election from Hajipur, ruling that the Delhi High Court has no territorial jurisdiction over polls held in Bihar.
The petitioner was advised to pursue remedies before the appropriate forum.
Alleged Nondisclosure Of Criminal Antecedents
The petitioner, claiming to be a survivor of sexual assault by Prince Raj—Chirag Paswan’s relative—and his associates, accused Paswan of hiding these “criminal antecedents” in his nomination affidavit. She cited Section 125A of the Representation of the People Act, which mandates disclosure and penalizes concealment with up to six months’ imprisonment.
EC & AGI Arguments
Election Commission’s Stance: Advocate Sidhant Kumar argued the petition was not maintainable in Delhi since the Hajipur election occurred in Bihar.
Additional Solicitor General’s Point: Chetan Sharma emphasized that only a voter or a rival candidate from Hajipur can file such an election petition—criteria the petitioner did not satisfy.
Chirag Paswan’s Profile
Chirag Paswan, son of the late Union Minister Ram Vilas Paswan, has served as the Minister of Food Processing Industries since June 2024. He has led the Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) since its formation in 2021 and has been MP for Hajipur since the 2024 general election.
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