Dharamshala: The Himachal Pradesh High Court has begun hearing a petition challenging the 2024 Lok Sabha elections held in the Mandi parliamentary constituency. The case, presided over by Justice Jyotsna Rewal Dua, involves a plea filed by Laik Ram Negi, who is seeking the cancellation of the election results for the Mandi seat.
The court had earlier instructed Kangana Ranaut, the respondent in the case, to submit a reply by 21 August 2024. However, during the hearing today, Ranaut’s legal team, represented by Anshul Bansal, senior advocate Ankush Das, Arjun Lal, and Akash Thakur, requested an additional three weeks to prepare their response. As a result, the next hearing is scheduled to take place in September.
Advocate Sanjeev Kumar, representing the petitioner Laik Ram Negi, also requested three weeks to file the power of attorney alongside the reply. Negi, a retired forest department employee, has challenged the election outcome, claiming that his nomination papers were unjustly rejected, preventing him from contesting the election.
According to Negi, his nomination was dismissed due to what he describes as a minor error. He contends that if allowed to stand in the election, he could have potentially secured a victory. The petition seeks to annul the Mandi election results and calls for a re-election for the seat.
Negi’s nomination was initially rejected after he was informed that he needed to provide no-due certificates for electricity, water, and telephone services related to his government accommodation. Although given time until the next day to submit these documents, they were ultimately not accepted, leading to the rejection of his candidacy on 15 May.
The ongoing legal challenge has drawn attention to the procedural aspects of election nominations and their impact on the democratic process. The case will continue in the Himachal Pradesh High Court next month.
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