Valley
Yadav to move court against EC for revoking his candidacy
After the Election Commission revoked the candidacy of CPN (Maoist Centre) candidate Shiva Pujan Raya Yadav for Sarlahi-4 on Saturday, Yadav said he was preparing to file a writ petition in the Supreme Court against the EC’s decision.After the Election Commission revoked the candidacy of CPN (Maoist Centre) candidate Shiva Pujan Raya Yadav for Sarlahi-4 on Saturday, Yadav said he was preparing to file a writ petition in the Supreme Court against the EC’s decision.
The EC decided to annul Yadav’s candidacy citing that the Special Court on August 11, 2015 found him guilty of corruption in diplomatic passport misuse. According to the Election to the House of Representatives Act, a person convicted of corruption and passport misuse cannot be a candidate.
After learning about the EC’s decision, Yadav left Sarlahi for Kathmandu early Monday. “I will first consult with the party leaders and then talk to the media,” Yadav told the Post while on his way to Kathmandu.
The Special Court convicted three former lawmakers including Yadav, sentencing them to four months in jail. The Commission for Investigation of Abuse of Authority had filed a corruption case against them on May 11, 2011.
The EC decision came after a writ was filed in the Supreme Court against poll authority. The apex court issued a show cause notice to the commission last week while also inviting EC officials to discuss the matter.
The writ filed against Yadav’s candidacy had sought court’s intervention asking why Yadav was not disqualified to stand as a candidate while Nepali Congress leader Govinda Raj Joshi was ousted from the race on similar ground. The EC revoked the candidacy of Joshi, who had filed his candidacy from Tanahun-1 as an independent candidate against the nomination senior NC leader Ram Chandra Poudel.
Although the EC decided against Joshi’s candidacy right after Poudel’s complaints, the election body took time to decide Yadav’s case.
EC officials said that the person who had registered the complaint did not submit the details, delaying the EC’s decision.
During the first Constituent Assembly election, Yadav, a Madhesi Janadhikar Forum Nepal candidate, defeated then Tarai Madhes Loktantrik Party chairman Mahantha Thakur and NC’s Amresh Kumar Singh. Singh had defeated Yadav in the 2013 CA elections.
Sources claimed that the Maoist Centre could field his younger brother Krishnanandan Raya as his replacement. Raya has also filed his candidacy from Sarlahi-4 as a “dummy candidate to support” his brother.