Delhi High Court Upholds AAP MLA Pathak's Victory Amid Allegations

The Delhi High Court dismissed a plea challenging AAP MLA Durgesh Pathak's election win in the 2022 bypoll. Allegations of improper accounting were ruled as not constituting corrupt practice, based on a Supreme Court precedent. The petitioner sought nullification of Pathak's victory and a six-year electoral debarment.

The Delhi High Court has rejected a plea against AAP MLA Durgesh Pathak's election in the 2022 Rajinder Nagar bypoll. Justice Mini Pushkarna stated that a candidate's failure to maintain proper accounts does not constitute corrupt practice under current legal standards.

The court based its decision on a Supreme Court ruling, asserting that not maintaining proper accounts, as outlined by the Representation of People (RP) Act, does not impact election results nor fall under corrupt practice.

The petitioner, Ramesh Kumar Khatri, accused Pathak of falsifying expenditure records. However, the court found no evidence that Pathak exceeded spending limits or that accounting inaccuracies affected the election outcome, ultimately dismissing the petition.