Allahabad High Court on Maneka Gandhi

The Allahabad High Court, led by Justice Rajan Roy, has reserved judgment on a petition from former BJP MP Maneka Gandhi challenging the election of Ram Bhual Nishad from the Samajwadi Party in Sultanpur. Gandhi's petition was filed seven days after the deadline, raising questions about its maintainability, although her counsel, Siddharth Luthra, urged the court to consider the merits of the case. The core allegation is that Nishad failed to disclose his complete criminal history in his nomination affidavit, revealing only eight out of twelve pending cases. Gandhi seeks to annul Nishad's election and be declared the rightful representative, asserting that the nondisclosure violates electoral regulations. The court's upcoming decision could have significant implications for electoral transparency and candidate eligibility in India.