AAP's Somnath Bharti Moves Delhi HC Against BJP MP Bansuri Swaraj's Lok Sabha Election

AAP leader Somnath Bharti has challenged BJP MP Bansuri Swaraj's election from New Delhi, alleging corrupt practices such as vote-buying and setting up a dummy candidate to split AAP votes

Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Somnath Bharti has approached the Delhi High Court challenging the election of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Bansuri Swaraja from the New Delhi Lok Sabha constituency on the grounds of alleged corrupt practices. Both Bharti and Swaraja contested from the New Delhi Parliamentary Constituency, but the BJP was declared as winner. While Bharti secured 3,74,815 votes, Swaraj got 4,53,185 votes as per the returning officer.

Justice Manmeet PS Arora is scheduled to hear the election petition on Monday, July 22. 

In his plea, Bharti alleged that Swaraj and her election agent indulged in corrupt practices during the voting held in Delhi on May 25, 2024. He claimed that under Swaraj's guidance, BJP workers were distributing money and materials like saaris and suit-salwar to the residents.

"They [BJP workers] were working with the consent of respondent no 1 [Swaraj] and under her instruction. The AAP workers and the public at large asked them to stop distributing stuff to lure the voters to vote for respondent no. 1 but they did not pay heed to their request and went on distributing," the election petition filed by Bharti said, according to a Bar and Bench report.

Bharti further alleged that former AAP minister Raaj Kumar Anand, who was thought to be a candidate set up by the Bahujan Samaj Party, but in reality he was set up by Swaraj's party to help her against the petitioner.

"Anand was a minister in the Aam Aadmi Party's government in Delhi and was active in campaigning for Bharti till April 9 and suddenly he resigned from the party on April 10. Anand contested the election on the ticket of Bahujan Samaj Party to help Swaraj by cutting into the vote share and later on July 10, he joined the BJP," the plea alleged.

On the election day, that is, May 5, 2024, Bharti said that during his visits to different booths across New Delhi Parliamentary Constituency, he was shocked to see that booth agents of Swaraj had her pamphlets displaying her ballot number, photo, election symbol and photo of PM Narendra Modi and was showing the same to the voters who had lined up in the booth to vote and asking them to vote for Ballot no.1. "... such an act certainly qualifies to be a corrupt practice," the plea said.

This was also reported to the respondent no. 3 (returning officer) but all in vain, the plea claimed.