Punjab and Haryana High Court Issues Notice to AAP MP Rajender Gupta Over Rajya Sabha Election Challenge
The Punjab and Haryana High Court has issued a formal notice to Rajender Gupta, an Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Rajya Sabha MP from Punjab and a prominent industrialist, in response to a petition challenging his election to the Upper House of Parliament. Justice Sanjay Vashisht took cognisance of the election petition filed by Navneet Chaturvedi, who alleges serious irregularities and corrupt practices during the electoral process.
Allegations of Corrupt Practices and Undue Influence
The petition, which seeks directions to declare Gupta's election void, accuses the AAP MP and state machinery of engaging in corrupt practices, including undue influence and misuse of government resources. Chaturvedi, who was himself a contender for the Rajya Sabha seat, claims his nomination was improperly rejected on grounds that signatures of AAP MLAs supporting him were forged.
According to the petitioner, although he spent 70 days in judicial custody related to the signature controversy, the state failed to prove the authenticity of those signatures in related legal proceedings. Chaturvedi has raised critical questions about how the returning officer managed to determine the genuineness of signatures within mere minutes during the formal scrutiny process.
Background of the Rajya Sabha Vacancy and Election Timeline
The Rajya Sabha seat became vacant on July 1, 2025, following the resignation of Sanjeev Arora. The election process to fill this vacancy commenced on October 6, 2025, as per the officially notified schedule. Nomination papers were required to be filed by October 13, 2025, with scrutiny by the returning officer scheduled for October 14, 2025. The polling was originally scheduled for October 24, 2025.
Navneet Chaturvedi, a resident of Rajasthan, initially filed his nomination on Form 2C on October 6, 2025, along with a list of MLAs supporting his candidature. However, this nomination was rejected on grounds that the papers were incomplete and lacked proper signatures of proposer MLAs.
Subsequent Nomination and Allegations of Procedural Violations
Chaturvedi claims that 10 MLAs subsequently signed his nomination papers, following which he re-filed his nomination on October 13, 2025, at 2:20 pm. He alleges that this nomination was again rejected without due process and under the influence of the ruling Aam Aadmi Party.
The petition further alleges that the scrutiny process, which was required to be conducted confidentially, was seriously compromised. According to Chaturvedi, his nomination papers and the list of supporting MLAs were leaked on WhatsApp groups and other social media platforms shortly after he left the Punjab assembly premises.
Allegations of Government Machinery Misuse and Irregular FIRs
The petitioner claims that FIRs were registered against him "at the instance of state government" between 8 pm and 11:50 pm on October 13, 2025, on the behest of complainant MLAs. The petition accuses the state government of misusing its machinery and alleges that the returning officer failed to adhere to the prescribed scrutiny schedule.
Furthermore, the petition states that the returning officer initiated the scrutiny process without prior intimation to the Election Commission of India (ECI), and that nomination papers were rejected without any formal inquiry, notice, or opportunity for a hearing.
Declaration of Results and Legal Proceedings
Rajender Gupta was declared the winner unopposed on October 16, 2025. Chaturvedi's petition now seeks directions to declare Gupta's election as null and void, alleging non-compliance with provisions of the Representation of the People Act.
The High Court has asked Rajender Gupta to respond to these allegations, with the next hearing scheduled for March 13. This case highlights significant questions about electoral integrity and procedural compliance in India's parliamentary election processes.
