New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Friday declined to entertain a plea for barring namesake/duplicate candidates, who deliberately contest elections as independent candidates to spoil the chances of other candidates.
A bench led by Justice B R Gavai told the petitioner’s counsel, "you know, what is the fate of the case?" The bench, also comprising justices Satish Chandra Sharma, and Sandeep Mehta, said: “If somebody else’s name is also Rahul Gandhi, Lalu Prasad Yadav……if their parents chose to name them like that, can we stop them from contesting elections?” The bench said how would a name come in the way of contesting elections and queried the petitioner’s counsel, “wouldn't it affect their rights?”
The petitioner’s counsel pressed on the important issue raised in the petition but the bench was not convinced. The counsel said that he had tested this issue after going through the two reports of the Election Commission of India (ECI).
Sensing that the bench is not willing to entertain the plea, filed by Sabu Steephen, the counsel requested the court to allow withdrawal of the petition. The apex court dismissed the petition as withdrawn.
The plea sought a direction to the ECI to scrutinise the background of namesake candidates and prevent them from contesting if they have been deliberately fielded by the opponents.
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