Himachal Pradesh HC issues notices to EC, others on PIL challenging Anurag Sharma’s election to Rajya Sabha

Shimla: The Himachal Pradesh High Court has issued notices to the Election Commission of India, the Central and state governments, the returning officer and MP Anurag Sharma on a PIL challenging Sharma’s election as a Rajya Sabha member from the state.

Taking up a public interest litigation filed by Advocate Vinay Sharma, a bench of Chief Justice Gurmeet Singh Sandhawalia and Justice Bipin Chander Negi directed all the respondents to file their replies by May 21.

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Congress candidate Anurag Sharma was elected unopposed in the lone Rajya Sabha seat in Himachal Pradesh on March 9.

The petition alleged that Sharma was holding contracts with the state government at the time of filing his nomination, rendering him ineligible to contest the election.

Citing Section 9A of the Representation of the People Act, 1951, the petitioner argued that if a candidate holds an active contract with the government at the time of nomination, their candidature is deemed invalid.
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It claimed that seven contracts held by Sharma were active at the time, but the returning officer failed to scrutinise his nomination and accepted it.