Kerala HC rejects plea alleging Union minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar filed false election affidavit

The Kerala High Court on Tuesday dismissed a public interest litigation against Union minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar, which alleged that he had filed false affidavits regarding his assets in his nomination form for the Lok Sabha elections, Bar and Bench reported.

Chandrasekhar is the Bharatiya Janata Party candidate from Kerala’s Thiruvananthapuram constituency. He is contesting against Congress’ Shashi Tharoor. Polling in the state will take place on April 26.

A bench of Justices VG Arun and S Manu while rejecting the plea said that after the returning officer accepts the nomination of a candidate, an aggrieved individual could file an election petition before the High Court instead of a public interest litigation.

An election petition allows for an inquiry into the validity of the results of parliamentary or local government elections. It is also a means to challenge the election of a candidate in an election.

The bench was hearing a public interest litigation moved by advocate and Congress leader Avani Bansal and Renjith Thomas. The petitioners alleged that the Union minister had deliberately omitted his assets that included properties, luxury cars and private jets in his nomination form.

Chandrasekhar had also undervalued his income from shares in various companies, they alleged.

“The nomination submitted by the 4th respondent [Chandrasekhar] is in utter and repeated violation of...

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