Somnath Bharti moves Delhi High Court against Bansuri Swaraj's Lok Sabha election from New Delhi

Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Somnath Bharti has approached the Delhi High Court challenging the election of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Bansuri Swaraja from New Delhi Lok Sabha constituency. .Swaraj defeated Bharti in the recently concluded Lok Sabha elections. The BJP had won all the seven Lok Sabha seats in the national capital. .Bharti has alleged that Swaraj and her election agent indulged in corrupt practices during the voting held in Delhi on May 25, 2024. Among a host of allegations, Bharti has said that under Swaraj's guidance, BJP workers were distributing money and materials like saaris and suit-salwar to the residents. "They [BJP workers] were working with the consent of respondent no 1 [Swaraj] and under her instruction. The AAP workers and the public atlarge asked them to stop distributing stuff to lure the voters to vote for respondent no. 1 but they did not pay heed to their request and went on distributing," the election petition filed by Bharti stated. He further said that on the day of the voting, both agents of Swaraj had pamphlets displaying her ballot number, photo, election symbol and the photo of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. .The plea further argued that the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) candidate Raaj Kumar Anand was set up by BJP to help Swaraj because he was earlier a minister of the AAP government in Delhi. It is alleged that Anand resigned from the party under pressure from central agencies and after contesting the elections on BSP ticket, he joined the BJP. "On enquiry, the respondent no. 2(Sh Raaj Kumar Anand) revealed that he was under tremendous pressure from the investigating agencies and hence had no option but to resign else he would be arrested. On 06.05.2024 respondent no. 2 (Sh Raaj Kumar Anand) filed his nomination as a MP candidate from New Delhi Parliamentary Constituency on the ticket of Bahujan Samaj Party. In line with the practice adopted by the Bahujan Samaj Party across India, respondent no. 2 (Sh Raaj Kumar Anand) was set up by the party of Respondent no. 1 (Ms. Bansuri Swaraj) to help her win by cutting into the votes of the candidate of INDIA Alliance," the plea said.