Supreme Court rejects Gujarat Congress plea against EC's decision to hold separate Rajya Sabha bypolls in state

The Supreme Court Tuesday refused to entertain a plea by the Gujarat Congress challenging the Election Commission's decision to hold separate by-polls to two Rajya Sabha seats in the state.

A vacation bench comprising Justice Sanjiv Khanna and Justice B R Gavai, however, granted liberty to the Gujarat Congress to file 'election petition' after the conclusion of polls to the two Rajya Sabha seats vacated by Union Ministers Amit Shah and Smriti Irani.

An election petition is a procedure to call into question the election results of parliamentary, Assembly or local elections.

The two Rajya Sabha seats fell vacant after Shah and Irani got elected the Lok Sabha from Gujarat's Gandhinagar and Uttar Pradesh's Amethi, respectively.

The plea was filed by Congress MLA and Leader of Opposition in Gujarat Assembly Pareshbhai Dhanani.