SC refuses to dismiss petition against Bhupesh Baghel’s win in 2023 Chhattisgarh polls

The Supreme Court on Friday dismissed a petition by Chhattisgarh’s former Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel, seeking that a plea challenging his victory in the 2023 Assembly elections be rejected, Live Law reported.

Bhupesh Baghel can raise his objections during the trial before the Chhattisgarh High Court, said a bench of Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V Mohana.

The Congress leader represents the Patan constituency in the Chhattisgarh Assembly.

His victory was challenged by his rival, the Bharatiya Janata Party’s Vijay Baghel, who alleged that Bhupesh Baghel conducted a roadshow a day before the election on November 17, 2023.

This violated Section 126 of the Representation of the People Act, 1951, which requires candidates not to campaign 48 hours before the polling, alleged the BJP leader.

Appearing for Bhupesh Bhaghel, advocate Kapil Sibal told the court on Friday that the allegation amounted to a violation of the Act and could not be treated as a “corrupt practice”, Live Law reported.

There was no basis to suggest that the alleged roadshow had influenced the election outcome, Sibal added. He pointed out that Bhupesh Baghel had won by a margin of nearly 20,000 votes while Vijay Baghel alleges that only around 200 persons attended the event.

However, the court said that whether the roadshow had...

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