Mandi: The Himachal Pradesh High Court issued notice on Wednesday on a petition challenging actor-turned-politiian Kangana Ranaut's election as the BJP's Mandi Lok Sabha representative. The court has directed Ranaut to respond to the petition by August 21.


Ex-Forest Officer's Sensational Claim  


The notice was issued on the petition of Layak Ram Negi, a former forest department employee who lives in Kinnaur. Negi filed his nomination papers as an independent candidate for the Mandi seat, but his nomination was rejected.


The petition came up for hearing in the court of Justice Jyotsna Rewal Dua.


Negi claimed in his petition that his nomination papers were wrongfully rejected and asked for the annulment of the Lok Sabha election for the Mandi seat. His petition also included the Mandi Returning Officer (RO) as a respondent.


Mandi Seat Controversy


Negi stated that he filed his nomination papers on May 14, 2024, for the Mandi Lok Sabha election. He was given time until the following day to provide all required documentation, and was informed that he would also require no-dues certificates for telephone, water, and electricity bills from the authorities concerned. Negi claimed that he submitted all necessary paperwork to the RO on May 15, but the latter rejected his candidature.


Negi said the RO told him that his nomination was rejected because there were certain errors in the nomination papers that could not be fixed. He claimed that if his papers had been approved, the outcome of the election might have been different as a result of his participation.


Ranaut defeated nearest rival, Vikramaditya Singh, the candidate from the Congress, by 74,755 votes to win the Mandi Lok Sabha seat. Singh had received 4,62,267 votes, while she polled 5,37,002 votes.


Challenge To Bansuri Swaraj Election In Delhi  


Aam Aadmi Party leader Somnath Bharti filed a similar petition in the Delhi High Court on Saturday, challenging the election of the BJP's Bansuri Swaraj from the New Delhi Lok Sabha seat. He cited alleged corrupt practices. Bharti had also contested the New Delhi seat, but lost.


The Delhi HC has asked Bharti to file the petition again, citing "too many mistakes."