Delhi: The Delhi High Court on Thursday issued notice to the Election Commission of India (ECI) on a plea seeking directions and guidelines to hold and regulate internal elections in political parties. The public interest litigation (PIL) petition filed by a lawyer C Rajashekaran also demanded that the procedure for internal elections should be included and made a part of the Constitution of the concerned political party. A Bench of Chief Justice DN Patel and Justice Jyoti Singh heard the matter and directed the ECI to file its response by December 23rd when the case will be heard next.
Rajashekaran, one of the founding members of Makkal Needhi Maiam (MNM), Kamal Hasan’s political party, had earlier filed a similar PIL in which was disposed of by the High Court with directions to the ECI to treat the petition as a representation. However, on Thursday, Rajashekaran’s counsel informed the Court that the ECI’s reply to his representation was unsatisfactory. Rajashekaran had earlier also argued that most internal elections in political parties are a sham where the winner is already decided.