Court asks EC to consider poll aspirants' plea

For those aspiring to become Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) councillors but were disqualified earlier from contesting the upcoming polls, the Delhi High Court on Thursday asked the State Election Commission to consider their pleas for remission of their disqualification periods.

"You (SEC) must have been dealing with such pleas. Dispose applications of MCD aspirants before the time for filing of the nomination papers for the MCD election ends," Justice Vipin Sanghi said.

The counsel for the poll panel, however, informed the court that the filing of nomination papers for the polls of the trifurcated MCD is likely to start from March 19.

The order came on a petition by an aspiring MCD councillor Nirmala Mishra, who had been disqualified on December 4, 2007 by the poll panel from running the MCD poll and who sought nearly two years of remission on her disqualification for six years.

Mishra was disqualified in 2007 for not furnishing the details of expenses incurred by her during the campaign for the seat of councillor from Sangam Vihar ward here.

As the period of disqualification would end on December 3, 2013, Mishra sought a direction to the State Election Commission to remit her remaining period of disqualification for enabling her to fight the MCD polls in April.

During the hearing, the court took note of the delay in filing the plea and said, "You (Mishra) have come to the court at the eleventh hour and that too on the eve of the election.”