Jabalpur: The Madhya Pradesh High Court nullified the election of BJP MLA Rajendra Meshram from Devsar seat in Singrauli district on the ground that his name did not figure in the certified copy of voters' list and failing to submit a proof of his resignation from government service.
The election was nullified by a single bench of Justice GS Solanki under Section 81(3) of the Representation of People Act.
The order was passed on a petition filed by Congress-supported candidate and former minister Vanshmani Verma.
The court also directed that a copy of the order should be sent to the state Assembly Speaker and the Election Commission within a week.
The District Returning Officer had cancelled Mr Verma's nomination during the last Assembly elections in 2013 on the ground that he had failed to deposit the party's mandatory form to allot a symbol within the prescribed time limit, following which he had contested polls as an independent.
However, he alleged in his petition that though the BJP candidate Mr Meshram was unable to submit a certified copy of the voters list carrying his name, his form was admitted by the District Returning Officer.
Mr Meshram also failed to submit certified papers related to his resignation from the post of a pharmacist in Northern Coalfileds Limited (NCL). He had merely submitted a relieving certificate, which is not acceptable as per electoral laws in nomination forms.
Mr Verma alleged that Mr Meshram won the polls on the basis of stating wrong facts and by hiding information.
He contended that Mr Meshram's candidature was accepted since he belonged to the ruling party despite the fact that he was not qualified to contest the polls.