Delhi HC Seeks Bansuri Swaraj’s Response To Somnath Bharti’s Election Challenge

Bansuri Swaraj

The Delhi High Court has issued a notice to BJP MP Bansuri Swaraj in response to a petition filed by AAP leader Somnath Bharti, challenging her election to the Lok Sabha on grounds of alleged corrupt practices.

Justice Manmeet Pritam Singh Arora has asked Swaraj to submit her response within 30 days.

The court also removed former AAP minister Raaj Kumar Anand from the case, as there was no substantial cause of action against him. Anand had contested the 2024 Lok Sabha elections on a Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) ticket but later joined the BJP after the results.

In the election, Bharti and Swaraj both competed for the New Delhi Lok Sabha seat. Bharti received 3,74,815 votes, while Swaraj secured 4,53,185 votes.

Bharti’s petition, filed under Sections 80 and 81 of the Representation of the People Act, accuses Swaraj, her election agent, and others of engaging in corrupt practices. The plea also claims that Raaj Kumar Anand’s candidacy on the BSP ticket was intended to divide AAP’s vote share, ultimately benefiting Swaraj. The petition highlights that Anand, who was previously a minister in the AAP government, had been actively campaigning for Bharti until April 9, only to abruptly resign from the party on April 10.

On election day, Bharti was reportedly shocked to see that Swaraj’s polling agents were distributing pamphlets featuring her ballot number, photo, election symbol, and a photograph of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, urging voters to select ballot no.1. The petition argues that this act constitutes corrupt practice and alleges that complaints to the returning officer were ignored.