
CHANDIGARH, March 12: The Punjab and Haryana High Court today issued notices to Chief Election Commissioner M S Gill and returning officer for Rajya Sabha elections on a petition filed by the state Congress challenging the commission’s order splitting notification for election to five Rajya Sabha seats.
A division bench comprising Justice H S Brar and Justice K S Kumaran issued notices returnable by March 16 to Gill and Punjab Vidhan Sabha secretary and returning officer for Rajya Sabha elections, O P Verma.
Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee, challenging the EC’s decision, accused Gill of favouring the ruling Akali Dal-BJP alliance at the cost of Congress in the State.
The petition, filed through PPCC general secretary Jagmohan Kang, alleged that Gill had acted in “malafide and arbitrary manner” in modifying his notification of March 3 and issuing two more notifications on March 9 splitting the dates of Rajya Sabha elections.


