HC stays EC order on Akhil Bharat Hindu Mahasabha

The order by Justice S Muralidhar came on a petition filed by Swami Chakrapani, who had challenged the order of the Election Commission not to recognise any office bearer of the ABHM following rival groups claiming themselves to be authorised office bearers.

"Prima facie it appears to this court that the mere making of representations by any one faction of a registered political party cannot form the basis of a decision by the Election Commission not to recognise any office bearer of ABHM," the court said in its order on Friday last.

The Commission in an RTI reply in November last year, had said that Chakrapani is the National President of the ABHM. Following the RTI reply, rival fractions approached the Commission claiming themselves to be authorised office bearers of the party.

The EC was approached by Viresh Kumar Tyagi, Indra Pal Singh, Kamlesh Tiwari, Baba Pandit, Nand Kishore Mishra and Santosh Rai, who questioned the election of Chakrapani.

Subsequently, on January 14, the Commission issued an order saying that until the internal disputes are settled within the party, it will not entertain any communication from any groups and will not recognise anyone as the authorised office bearers of the party.