32 Cong nominees allowed to submit mandate forms post due date

The Gujarat High Court onMonday disposed of a petition after the SEC allowed 32Congress candidates to submit their mandate forms by February16 for polls to the Palitana municipality after their earlierforms were torn by ''some disgruntled elements'' before the lastdate of submission on February 13, their lawyer said.

The State Election Commissioner (SEC) passed an orderallowing the 32 Congress candidates to submit their mandateforms, which are submitted along with nomination papers, byFebruary 16, their lawyer Anand Yagnik said.

These candidates had approached the HC seeking itsdirection to the SEC to accept their mandate forms (showingthey are official party nominees) for the February 28 pollsto the municipality in Bhavnagar district even after the lastdate for filing of nominations ended on February 13.

A bench of Justices JB Pardiwala and IJ Vora heard thematter on Monday and disposed of the petition after the SECsubmission.

The State Election Commissioner told the court if arepresentation is made to him, the SEC would pass an orderdirecting Election Officer/Returning Officer to accept themandate forms for the 32 petitioner candidates on or beforeFebruary 16, which they did soon thereafter.

Around two dozen persons ''assaulted the authorisedrepresentatives of the Congress party carrying the mandateforms, scuffled with them and snatched the mandate papers andran away,'' the candidates said in their representation beforethe SEC.

As many as 36 candidates of the Congress hadsubmitted their nomination forms before the election Officerwell within the last date on February 13.

However, their mandate forms were ''snatched away anddestroyed by disgruntled elements and opponents'' before theycould be submitted, the petition in the HC said.

Out of these 36 candidates, six managed to file theirmandate forms, it said, adding the entire incident wascaptured in CCTV cameras.