Patna: The Patna High Court has issued notices to more than 40 elected members of the Bihar Legislative Assembly following the filing of election petitions challenging their victories in the recent Assembly polls.
The petitions have been filed by candidates who lost from their respective constituencies. While notices have been issued to legislators across party lines, the majority of those named belong to the ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA).
Among those served notices are Speaker of the Bihar Assembly and nine-term BJP MLA from Gaya Town, Prem Kumar; senior JD(U) leader and Energy and Finance Minister Bijendra Prasad Yadav; former Minister Jibesh Kumar Mishra; and JD(U) legislator Chetan Anand, among others.
“Usually, no election petition is dismissed by the court outright. Notices are issued to the respondents, and orders would be passed by the court after examining the material at hand,” said Siddharth Prasad, counsel representing the Election Commission, while speaking to media persons. He confirmed that over 40 such petitions have been filed by defeated candidates.
The petition against Prem Kumar has been filed by Congress candidate Akhauri Onkar Nath, who lost the Gaya Town seat by 26,423 votes.
Similarly, Bijendra Prasad Yadav, a nine-term MLA from Supaul, has been served notice. He had defeated Congress candidate Minnatullah Rahmani by over 30,000 votes.
Former Minister Jibesh Kumar Mishra, BJP MLA from Jale in Darbhanga district, also faces a petition after defeating Congress candidate Rishi Mishra by more than 20,000 votes.
In Nabinagar constituency of Aurangabad district, JD(U) MLA Chetan Anand’s victory is under challenge. He had secured the seat by a slender margin of 112 votes, defeating Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) candidate Amod Kumar Singh.
Legal experts note that issuance of notice is a routine judicial procedure in election matters and does not imply any immediate adverse finding against the elected representatives. The court is expected to examine the petitions and supporting evidence before passing further orders.
The development has drawn political attention, as several senior leaders of the ruling alliance are among those facing legal scrutiny over their electoral victories.
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