In Brief
The appellant, the returned candidate from Churhat constituency in the 2013 Madhya Pradesh assembly elections, filed an application to strike off paragraphs of an election petition alleging corrupt practices under the Representation of the People Act, 1951. The Supreme Court held that allegations in election petitions must be presumed factually correct when examining such applications. Election Commission valuations of campaign materials are not conclusive; the actual quantity, quality, and cost are factual matters for trial. Expenditure for organizing meetings of star campaigners held outside the candidate's constituency must be included in his election expenses. The Court partly allowed the appeal, striking off only the helicopter travel allegations while upholding most other allegations as properly pleaded.
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