The Supreme Court has agreed to list the PIL for hearing on Thursday. In fact, a PIL has been filed against the practice of political parties promising free gifts in elections. The first phase of voting for the Lok Sabha elections is to be held from April 19. The dates of other phases have been announced.
Chief Justice D.Y. Chandrachud, Justice J.B. The bench of Pardiwala and Manoj Mishra said on Wednesday that it is necessary to continue the hearing tomorrow also. Senior advocate Vijay Hansaria, appearing in the court on behalf of petitioner Ashwini Upadhyay, who had filed the PIL, argued that the petition needed to be heard before the Lok Sabha elections. The court took note of that.
The petition said that the decision of political parties to promise free gifts is a violation of Articles 14, 162, 266 (3) and 282 of the Constitution. The petitioner has demanded that the Election Commission confiscate the election symbols of such political parties and direct the court to cancel the registration of the party. The petitioner says that political parties try to woo voters by making unreasonable promises of freebies with the help of public money, which amounts to bribery and undue influence on elections.