LS elections: PIL seeks permission for jailed politicians to campaign through VC

A PIL has sought direction from the Delhi High Court for the Election Commission of India (ECI) to develop a mechanism, which can allow the arrested political leaders to campaign through video-conferencing for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections 2024.

Filed by Amarjeet Gupta, a final year law student and moved through Advocate Md. Imran Ahmad, the petition further sought direction for the Central government to provide information about the arrest of a political leader or a candidate immediately to the Election Commission of India.

The petitioner contended that he was aggrieved by the timing of the arrest of politicians after the announcement of Model Code of Conduct by ECI, particularly Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, national convener of Aam Aadmi Party.

He submitted that the electors were deprived of their fundamental right to get information under Article 19(1)(a) of the Constitution of India from the said politicians by way of being spectators and listeners of election campaigning.

It further said the leaders of political parties were also deprived of their constitutionally guaranteed fundamental and legal right to campaigning during the election.

The petitioner said that he sent a representation to the authorities but the same has not been responded to.

The petition highlighted that the electors of India in general and Delhi in particular have been subjected to be uninformed voters because they were not able to learn about the objectiveness and the ideology of a nationalal party as the leader of the said political party was arrested while MCC was still in force.