Notice to Rizwan in petition challenging his election

NT Correspondent

Bengaluru: An election petition has been filed in the High Court questioning the election of Rizwan Arshad as an MLA from Shivajinagar constituency in the recent Karnataka State Assembly elections.

B Lakshmi Devi, a resident of Sampangiramanagar has filed this petition, which was heard on Tuesday by Justice S Vishwajit Shetty.

After hearing the argument of senior advocate Pramila Nesargi for the petitioner, the bench issued a notice to MLA Rizwan Arshad and adjourned the hearing to September 19.

The petition claimed that the free guarantee schemes announced by the Congress party are in the nature of inducement and gifts.

The guarantee schemes are published in the manifesto with the consent of party candidates. Therefore Rizwan Arshad has committed illegality in the election by luring voters which amounts to bribery and corruption.

Luring voters through guarantee card schemes by the Congress is an attempt to influence voters which is prohibited under Section 123 (1) and Section 123 (2) of the Representation of the People Act, the petition says.