Delhi HC notice to poll panel on plea for acceptance of nomination

Rein, 27, alleged that March 22 she reached the office of returning officer with her nomination papers by 2.40 p.m., however, a Delhi Police constable at the gate told her that he has written her name down at number 12 in his list and asked her to wait in the waiting hall at least an hour because there were others ahead of her in the queue.

At around 3 p.m. when she asked police to submit her nomination form, the same constable told her that nominations will not be accepted now as the time ended 3 p.m.

The plea said that the act of the returning officer and the police officials is arbitrary, illegal, unconstitutional, ultra vires to the provisions laid down in the constitution and not accepting her nomination form amounts to 'infringement of the fundamental rights guaranteed by the constitution of India'.

'Not allowing the petitioner to submit her nomination form because of the returning officers and her staff's fault will cause irreparable loss to the petitioner as the next Lok Sabha election would be held in 2019,' her plea said.

Her 'political career would be damaged and prolonged for next 5 years which would be a huge career loss for her', she argued.