At a time when Gujarat is grappling with the COVID crisis, the Vijay Rupani-led BJP government on Tuesday received a jolt when the state high court invalidated the victory of senior minister Bhupendrasinh Chudasama. His victory was considered void on the grounds of manipulation and malpractice.
The judgment was delivered via video conferencing by Justice Paresh Upadhyay. Chudasama's victory in the 2017 assembly elections was challenged by Congress candidate Ashwin Rathod, a farmer by occupation. Rathod had demanded re-verification of 429 postal ballots that the returning officer had canceled. The judge is also reported to have passed strict comments on the way returning officer Dhaval Jani acted.
According to reports emerging from Chudasama's office, he is going to challenge the decision in the Supreme Court. Chudasama, who is one of the senior-most BJP leaders of Gujarat, had won from Dholka seat by a narrow margin of 327 votes.
Meanwhile, Gujarat Congress president Amit Chavda has demanded that Chudasama should resign on moral grounds. Sources in speaker Rajendra Trivedi's office said that due process of law would be followed in the case.
Sources said that in the normal case, the order will go to the speaker through the secretary. The speaker will then inform the Gujarat High Court. Even if Chudasama challenges the order in the apex court, he does not remain MLA from the day the high court has passed the order, sources added.
Chudasama is minister for Higher and Technical Education, also holding the portfolio of Law and Justice, Parliamentary Affairs, and Civil Aviation in the Vijay Rupani government.