After HC, Supreme Court denies Congress' substitute candidate's request to contest Indore LS seat

Days after Madhya Pradesh High Court rejected Congress' substitute candidate Moti Singh's plea from Indore, the Supreme Court on Friday denied Singh's plea seeking to be allotted the Congress symbol to contest from the Indore Lok Sabha constituency

A bench of Justices Surya Kant and KV Viswanathan noted that the plea could not be heard as the election process was already underway and it was too late, as reported by Bar and Bench.

The legal portal quoted Justices as saying, "EVMs and symbols have already been allocated. Why did you wait for seven days (to move apex court)? Unheard-of things are happening, but you should have come earlier. You could have asked for provisional nomination from High Court and then come to us. Question of law may be raised in election petition, even as an elector. We will keep it open."

Earlier the Madhya Pradesh High Court on May 4 dismissed an appeal filed by Congress' substitute candidate who wanted to contest from the Indore Lok Sabha constituency on the party's symbol after its original candidate Akshay Kanti Bam withdrew from the fray.

Congress' nominee Akshay Kanti Bam withdrew his nomination on April 29, the last day of the nominations and joined the BJP.

Significantly, the Returning Officer had rejected Singh's nomination during scrutiny on April 26 only on the ground that he was a substitute candidate and the original candidate (Bam) was in the fray, he contended.