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“EC Has No Power”: Supreme Court Stays Kamal Nath’s Removal As ‘Star Campaigner’

“We are staying the Election Commission’s order and the EC has no power,” the chief justice of India, SA Bobde, said.

The Supreme Court today stayed the Election Commission’s order removing Congress’s Kamal Nath as the star campaigner for the by-elections in Madhya Pradesh. “We are staying the Election Commission’s order and the EC has no power,” the chief justice of India, SA Bobde, said.

“Who has given the power to you (the Election Commission) to remove a candidate from the star campaigner list? It is you or a leader of the party?” the CJI said while hearing a petition filed by the former Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister.

“Where do you get the power to determine who will be the leader of a political party? Is it for you or the party to decide who is the star campaigner?” CJI Bobde added.

It would file a response at the earliest, the EC said in response. “The Supreme Court is supreme. The EC has been given an opportunity to file a reply in the matter, which shall be filed at the earliest,” the election commission said.

The Election Commission, on October 30, stripped Kamal Nath of his ‘star campaigner’ status over a series of his controversial remarks, which, the commission said, were “repeated violation of model code of conduct” and “complete disregard” of warnings to him.

Being a leader of a political party, Kamal Nath had repeatedly “breached ethical and dignified behaviour”, the commission had said in its order.

Earlier, during a rally for Congress candidate Suresh Raje in Dabra, Kamal Nath had called BJP candidate Imarti Devi “an item”. The election commission had issued a warning to the 73-year-old over his comments.

 

 

 

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