Chidambaram refuses to quit, says Madras HC order is not setback

Jun 07, 2012 |

Agencies

New Delhi

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Union Home Minister P. Chidambaram on Thursday dismissed the possibility of a resignation after the Madras High Court ruled that he must 'face trial' in the 2009 Lok Soabha elections case.

A confident Chidambaram instead declared that the development was, in fact, a setback for the petitioner and not for him. Madras High Court's order pertains to the validity of Chidambaram's election, in 2009, from the Sivaganga parliamentary constituency in Tamil Nadu.

On Thursday, the Court refused to entirely strike off an election petition filed by AIADMK's losing candidate R.S. Raja Kannappan.

After having lost the election by a narrow margin of over 3500 votes, Raja Kannapan filed the election petition leveling several allegations of malpractice against Chidambaram.

In his petition, Raja Kannappan claimed Chidambaram had mobilised funds from various banks to spend on poll campaign.

Chidambaram's preliminary objection petition to reject the election petition at an initial stage itself failed last year.

Later, he filed a strike-off petition. Had he succeeded, it would have spared him the rigor of the trial such as appearing in the court and getting into the box.

On Thursday, Justice K. Venkataraman dismissed the strike-off petition but directed deletion of two specific paragraphs in Raja Kannappan's petition containing allegations that the bank funds were used in contesting the elections.

Kannappan, in his petition filed on June 25, 2009, had alleged that Chidambaram's election 'deserved' to be declared void due to 'manipulation' of votes and 'corrupt practices' committed by him, his election agents and others, with his consent.

Raja Kannappan had also sought recount of the votes polled in the entire constituency, particularly in the Alangudi Assembly segment.

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