SC notice to EAM Jaishankar on pleas against election to RS

The Supreme Court on Wednesday issued notices on a batch of petitions challenging the election of External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar to Rajya Sabha from Gujarat.

The matter also raised questions on Election Commission's power on issuance of separate notifications for holding bypolls for casual and regular vacancies in Rajya Sabha.

One of the petitions against Jaishankar has been filed by Congress leader Gaurav Pandya.

A bench of Chief Justice S A Bobde and Justices A S Bopanna and V Ramasubramanian took note of the submissions of senior advocate Kapil Sibal that a date be fixed for hearing these matters.

The court put the matter for detailed hearing on December 8.

Earlier, the top court had said that it would like to give an authoritative pronouncement on the issue of EC's power on issuance of separate notifications for holding bypolls for regular and casual elections to fill vacancies in Rajya Sabha.

The pleas pertained to 2019 Rajya Sabha bypoll on two seats from Gujarat and both seats were won by BJP candidates.

The Gujarat High Court, on February 4, had dismissed the plea of Congress leader Gaurav Pandya against Jaishankar's election to the Rajya Sabha.

It had also dismissed two other petitions filed by Congress leaders Chandrikaben Chudasama and Pareshkumar Dhanani against the election of BJP candidate Jugalji Thakore.

Both Jaishankar and Thakore were elected to Rajya Sabha on July 5 last year in bypolls held on seats vacated by Union ministers Amit Shah and Smriti Irani.