Election Commission backs PIL to ban candidates contesting from two seats

The Election Commission of India on Wednesday supported a petition filed at the Supreme Court seeking ban on candidates contesting an election from more than one constituency.

A public interest litigation (PIL) was filed by BJP leader Ashwini Kumar Upadhyay wanting Section 33 (7) of the Representation of People’s Act that allows a candidate to contest Lok Sabha or Assembly elections from two constituencies simultaneously to be scrapped.  

According to the plea filed by Upadhyay, candidates contesting from more than one constituency often leads to a by-poll after a candidate wins from both the seats.

The poll panel in an affidavit said that the commission is of the view that the law should be amended to prevent a person from contesting in more than one seat.

“If the legislature is in favour of the provision then an amendment should be made in the law,” the affidavit said.

The poll conducting body also cited that viewing the expenditure, time election fatigue and harassment caused to the voters, Section 33(7) of the Representation of People’s Act should be changed so that one candidate can contest from one constituency.  

In the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, Prime Minister Narendra Modi contested from Vadodara and Varanasi constituency. He later resigned from Vadodara seat.