A candidate for the Maharashtra Congress challenges the SC’s revocation of their nomination to run in the LS elections

Rashmi Shyamkumar Barve, a Congress candidate from Maharashtra’s Ramtek Parliamentary Constituency, had gone door-to-door before the Supreme Court, protesting her illegal and arbitrary deprivation of her right to run in the next Lok Sabha election.

Following the Bombay High Court’s decision to not intervene in the nomination cancellation on the grounds that the election program began on March 20, 2024, Kaushik Choudhury, Rashmi’s attorney informed The New Indian Express that she was forced to apply to the highest court.

Rashmi thus begged the Supreme Court to halt the judgment canceling her candidacy and let her to run in the election, which would undoubtedly boost democratic sentiment.

The party’s official candidate from the Ramtek (SC) seat had to file a petition in the High Court after her caste certificate was first declared invalid by the district caste certificate inspection committee in Maharashtra on March 28.

However, the High Court halted the ruling of the Caste Scrutiny committee ruling, noting that the petitioner’s caste certificate was rejected in a hurry, indicating a lack of sincerity.

However, he said that the HC had rejected to intervene in Rashmi’s nomination cancelation since the election program had started on March 20, 2024.

Choudhury went on to say that he will probably bring up this issue on Monday, April 8, in front of the Chief Justice-led bench of the highest court for an immediate listing and hearing of Rashmi’s appeal.

According to Choudhury, “the democratic process has been blemished by blatant disregard for free and fair election.”

Surprisingly, the caste scrutiny committee that had originally granted Rashmi a certificate of caste validity later revoked the certificate due to a baseless allegation brought forward by Vaishali Deviya, who has strong ties with Sunil Salave, the complainant in Rashmi’s case.

“It was quite evident that the intention was to oppose Rashmi’s candidacy for the next election. Choudhury said that the cancellation was carried out in a very hurried way and that the Bombay High Court noted this clearly while granting a stay order in Rashmi’s writ case.

The High Court also said that the election process has advanced to the point where election symbols have been assigned and approved by law. At that point, the only way to resolve the matter would be to file an election petition in order to stir up controversy.

Rashmi had chosen to appeal the HC ruling before the SC by submitting a Special Leave Petition (SLP), as she was upset by the ruling that would have prevented her from running in the next Lok Sabha Election.

“This ultimately has served the purpose of respondent No.1 and private respondents who succeeded in their ulterior and mala fide motive to stop the petitioner (Rashmi) from contesting the upcoming election,” he said in his plea.