SC asks Congress leader Ahmed Patel to face trial over Rajya Sabha election

Supreme Court has asked Congress leader Ahmed Patel to face trial in connection with his election to the Rajya Sabha in 2017 which has been challenged by his rival BJP candidate Balwantsinh Rajput. 

A bench comprising Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi and Justice S K Kaul declined to interfere with the October 26, 2018 order of the Gujarat High Court which had said that Mr Rajput's allegations required a trial. 

Mr Patel had challenged the high court order which had dismissed his plea questioning



the maintainability of Mr Rajput's election petition. Mr Rajput in his election petition had challenged the Election Commission's decision to invalidate the votes of two rebel MLAs. Had these votes been counted, he would have defeated Mr Patel, the BJP leader had contended.

Mr Patel was declared the winner after the Election Commission invalidated the votes of rebel Congress MLAs Bholabhai Gohel and Raghavjee Patel, bringing down the number of votes needed for victory to 44 from 45.