Kangana Ranaut's LS Election Challenged By Rejected Candidate, Himachal HC Seeks MP's Reply By Aug 21

The petition against Kangana Ranaut was filed by Kinnaur resident Layak Ram Negi in Himachal High Court who contested from the Mandi Lok Sabha seat as an Independent candidate.

Bharatiya Janata Party MP and actor Kangana Ranaut's election to the Lok Sabha from Mandi constituency in Himachal Pradesh has been challenged in the Himachal Pradeh High Court. The actor-politician has been ordered by the court to respond to the petition by August 21. 

The notice was issued by the court of Justice Jyotsna Rewal Dua on the petition of Kinnaur resident Layak Ram Negi, reported the Indian Express. Negi had filed his nomination papers as an independent candidate for the Mandi seat but his candidature was rejected. 

The petitioner has sought to nullify the Lok Sabha election for the Mandi constituency and alleged that his nomination papers were improperly rejected. 

The report added that Mandi Returning Officer (RO) has been named as a respondent in the case. 

Negi said he submitted his nomination papers for the Mandi Lok Sabha election on May 14. He was told to furnish no-due certificates for electricity, water, and telephone bills from the relevant departments and was granted time till the next day. 

The petitioner said he submitted all the documents to the RO on the next day but the officer refused to accept them. The RO told him, claimed Negi, that the absence of these certificates with the nomination papers was a significant error that could not be rectified, resulting in the rejection of his nomination.

Ranaut secured the Mandi seat in her electoral debut with 5,37,002 votes defeating Congress leader Vikramaditya Singh with a margin of 74,755 votes. 

The development comes just days after a similar petition was filed by Aam Aadmi Party leader Somnath Bharti against New Delhi BJP MP Bansuri Swaraj. Both the leaders had contested Lok Sabha elections from the New Delhi Lok Sabha seat and Swaraj, who got 4,53,185 votes as per the returning officer, was declared winner while Bharti secured 3,74,815 votes. 

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