The Delhi High Court has scheduled a hearing for August 13 on a plea by Aam Aadmi Party leader Somnath Bharti contesting BJP MP Bansuri Swaraj’s victory in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. Bharti’s petition challenges Swaraj’s election from the New Delhi Lok Sabha Constituency, alleging “corrupt practices.” Justice Manmeet Pritam Singh Arora’s bench adjourned the matter, noting typographical errors in the petition that need correction.
Bharti’s plea requests the court to direct the Returning Officer to produce records of the May 25, 2024 elections in the 04-New Delhi parliamentary constituency. According to the returning officer, Bharti lost the election, securing 3,74,815 votes, while Swaraj won with 4,53,185 votes, announced on June 4, 2024.
The petition claims that Raaj Kumar Anand, initially a Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) candidate, was effectively supported by Swaraj’s party to divide votes against Bharti. Anand, a former minister in the Aam Aadmi Party’s Delhi government, resigned from AAP on April 10, 2024, under alleged pressure from agencies like the ED, CBI, and IT. He then ran as a BSP candidate, securing 5,629 votes, and later joined the BJP on July 10, 2024, which Bharti claims confirms his intent to support Swaraj.
The plea also alleges BJP workers distributed money and goods, such as saris and suits, to residents while cross-checking voter lists, and that Swaraj’s campaign included divisive religious rhetoric. Bharti argues that these actions represent corrupt practices and improper campaign conduct.