KATHMANDU, Dec 22: Acting on a writ petition, the Supreme Court on Friday directed the Election Commission (EC) and the returning officers to submit votes cast in the elections and other documents in relation to parliamentary elections in Sankhuwasabha.
A five-five member constitutional bench comprising Chief Justice Gopal Parajuli and justices Deepak Raj Joshi, Om Prakash Mishra, Cholendra SJB Rana and Deepak Kumar Karki ordered them to submit their explanations within 15 days. The bench also ordered them to submit the votes and other documents and attend a hearing on December 29 to discuss whether a stay order is needed as demanded by the petitioner.
Vote counting remains stalled
Challenging the result of the elections NC's parliamentary candidate Dipak Khadka who lost the elections had filed the writ petition at the Supreme Court.
Similarly, the bench also called the EC and the relevant authorities to attend a hearing on January 3 at the apex court on a case filed by parliamentary candidate Pradip Paudel of Nepali Congress challenging the election results.
Demanding a re-run of polls in his constituency, Tanahun-2, Nepali Congress (NC) youth leader Paudel had filed the writ petition at the Supreme Court (SC) on Thursday.
Meanwhile, the bench also ordered the authorities to attend a hearing on January 3 on whether or not to stay the election results of Dhanusha's parliamentary constituency 3 as demanded by left alliance candidate Ram Singh Yadav, who has claimed that the vote in the constituency was rigged.
Stating that local television channels and news websites were misused in favor of RJP candidate Rajendra Mahato on the election day, Yadav had challenged the election result. According to Yadav, the media on the election day falsely reported that he had supported RJP candidate Mahato.
