Delhi High Court declines urgent hearing on plea alleging election law violations over freebies

Court refuses to expedite case challenging political parties' pre-poll promises, says impact already made ahead of February 5 elections.

The Delhi High Court on Monday refused to grant an urgent hearing to a plea alleging violations of election laws by political parties ahead of the Delhi Assembly polls. The bench of Chief Justice D K Upadhyaya and Justice Tushar Rao Gedela stated that the matter would be heard in due course as per standard procedure.

Court Rejects Urgent 2 PM Listing Request

The petitioner’s counsel sought an immediate listing at 2 PM, arguing that political parties had breached election norms by announcing freebies to sway voters. However, the court rejected the request, stating:

"Why 2 PM? You are challenging the actions of political parties in announcing freebies. Tomorrow is the last day for electioneering or maybe today. Whatever impact the freebies were to have has already happened," the bench remarked.

Freebies Debate Ahead of Delhi Elections

The petition objected to political parties announcing free incentives during the election campaign, arguing that the practice violates Supreme Court guidelines on maintaining fairness in electoral processes. However, the Delhi HC bench clarified that its decision did not reflect any stance on the merit of the case.

With Delhi going to polls on February 5 and results set for February 8, the court’s refusal to expedite the hearing suggests that any decision on the matter will come after voting concludes.