In Brief
A candidate elected to Parliament in 2019 filed an application to reject an election petition alleging false disclosure in his nomination affidavit regarding criminal cases pending against him and prior convictions under labour laws. The Supreme Court upheld the High Court's dismissal of the rejection application, holding that such allegations cannot be rejected summarily. The Court reasoned that the cumulative effect of alleged non-disclosure of criminal antecedents and non-compliance with Election Commission publication guidelines must be tried on merits, as voters have a constitutional right to informed knowledge of a candidate's background. Partial rejection of an election petition is impermissible; the case must proceed to full trial.
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