Supreme Court says promises in party’s poll manifesto will not amount to corrupt practice
The Supreme Court has held that commitments made by political parties in their election manifestos will not amount to corrupt practice by a candidate of that party.
A bench of Justices Suryakant and KV Vishwanathan refused to accept the arguments made by one of the parties in the appeal arising out of the election petition and said, “The contention of the learned counsel that the commitments by a political party in its manifesto, which eventually lead to direct or indirect financial help to the public at large, will also amount to corrupt practice by a candidate of that party, is too far-fetched and cannot be accepted. In any case, in the facts and circumstances of these cases, we need not go into such questions elaborately.”
The top court dismissed the appeal, which was filed against the Karnataka High Court’s order dismissing an election petition filed by a voter from Chamrajpet Assembly Constituency challenging the selection of the successful candidate BZ Zameer Ahmed Khan in the 2023 elections held for the Karnataka State Legislature.
The complainant, in his plea, stated that the Congress in its election manifesto for the 2023 Karnataka assembly polls offered direct and indirect financial help to the public, amounting to corrupt electoral practice.
The Karnataka High Court had held that a declaration by a party in its manifesto as to the policy that they intend to bring about cannot be considered a corrupt practice for the purpose of Section 123 of the Representation of People Act.