Kerala HC bench recuses from hearing election petitions against Priyanka Gandhi, K C Venugopal

Kochi: A high court bench of Justice A Badharudeen on Thursday recused itself from hearing the petitions challenging the election of Congress MPs Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and K C Venugopal to the Lok Sabha from the Wayanad and Alappuzha constituencies, respectively.Another single bench will consider the election petitions on May 25. The petitions were posted before the bench of Justice Badharudeen on Thursday, after the previous bench, presided over by Justice K Babu, ceased to hear the matter following his retirement on attaining superannuation.The petition against Priyanka was filed by Navya Haridas, who also contested the Nov 2024 by-election from the Wayanad Lok Sabha constituency as the BJP candidate. Priyanka secured her maiden electoral victory with a margin of over four lakh votes, polling 6,22,338 votes, while Navya Haridas finished third with 1,09,939 votes.Haridas alleged in her petition that Priyanka Gandhi Vadra suppressed vital information regarding assets owned by her and her family, thereby misleading voters and influencing their electoral choice, amounting to corrupt practices under the Representation of the People Act, 1951. The petition also alleged that her nomination papers violated election laws and the Conduct of Election Rules. HC had earlier admitted the election petition and issued notice to Priyanka Gandhi Vadra.Meanwhile, A M Ariff, the LDF candidate from the Alappuzha constituency in the 2024 Lok Sabha election, filed a petition challenging Venugopal's election on allegations of corrupt practices. In the 2024 Lok Sabha election, Venugopal had defeated Ariff by a margin of 63,513 votes.