BJP leader Sanjay Tandon has filed a petition in the Punjab and Haryana High Court challenging the election of Congress MP Manish Tewari from Chandigarh, citing allegations of electoral malpractices.
Tandon, who lost to Tewari by a narrow margin of 2,504 votes in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, claims the victory was marred by promises he describes as “of a corrupt nature.” The BJP and Congress, along with the Aam Aadmi Party, were key contenders in this closely watched race, with the latter two parties entering into an electoral alliance.
In his legal challenge, filed under the Representation of the People (RP) Act, 1951, Tandon, represented by counsels Chetan Mittal, Ashu M Punchhi, and Satyam Tandon, argues that Tewari and his party workers engaged in activities designed to unduly influence voters. According to the petition, this included the distribution of “guarantee cards” and videos promising significant financial incentives such as a monthly payment of Rs 8,500, a Rs 1 lakh salary for the first job of every educated youth, loan waivers, and a legal guarantee of the Minimum Support Price (MSP) following the Swaminathan formula.
The petition alleges these promises were made to secure votes through a quid pro quo arrangement, asserting that such actions constitute a breach of Section 123 of the RP Act. Tandon’s challenge seeks to have Tewari’s election declared void under Sections 100 and 101 of the same act.
