National
Candidate should not contest two seats, EC tells SC (Second Lead)
New Delhi, Dec 11 (IANS) The Election Commission on Monday told the Supreme Court that a candidate should not contest from two constituencies as the court sought Attorney General K.K. Venugopal’s assistance in the matter.
A bench of Chief Justice Dipak Misra, Justice A.M. Khanwilkar, and Justice D.Y. Chandrachud directed petitioner-lawyer Ashwini Kumar Upadhyay to serve a copy of the petition to the Attorney General.
Upadhyay, a Bharatiya Janata Party leader, has challenged Section 33(7) of the Representation of the People Act of 1951 that allows a person to contest elections to Parliament and state assemblies from two constituencies and sought an end to the practice.
The petitioner also sought directions to the Centre and the Election Commission for taking steps to discourage independent candidates from joining the election fray which he said held the potential of fragmenting votes and creating instability.
Section 33 (7) says that “… a person shall not be nominated as a candidate for election (a) in the case of a general election to the House of the People … from more than two Parliamentary constituencies…” The same holds good for elections to assemblies.
Upadhyay said that “One person one vote” and “one candidate one constituency” is the dictum of democracy. However, as the law stands today, a person can contest elections for the same office from two constituencies simultaneously, he said.
The petitioner said that while a candidate can contest an election simultaneously from two seats, under Section 70 of the Representation of the People Act he can retain only one and has to vacate the other one.
Referring to the Election Commission recommendation in 2004, the petitioner said that way back on July 5, 2004, the then Chief Election Commissioner had urged the Prime Minister to go for an amendment to Section 33(7) to provide that a person cannot contest from more than one constituency for the same office simultaneously.
Alternately, the CEC had said, if the existing provision to permit a candidate to contest from two seats had to be retained then the cost of re-election to the seat he wins but vacates should be borne by the said candidate.
He referred to the Law Commission report that agreed with the Election Commission that a person cannot contest from more than one seat at a time.
“The Goswami Committee in 1990 and the Law Commission in its 170th report in 1999 recommended the same,” said the petition.
–IANS
pk/tsb/bg
National
Foodman Vishal Singh Honored for Hunger Free World Mission in Bangkok
Lucknow: Vishal Singh, a renowned social worker from Lucknow, also known as Foodman, has once again made India proud. He was honored by the Happy Hands Gloves Cooperative Limited Company in Korathai, Thailand, for his work with the Hunger Free World Mission.
The Hunger Free World Mission’s meeting was held in Korathai, Thailand, under Vishal Singh’s leadership. Representatives from several countries, including Mr. Raja Dwivedi (Managing Director of Happy Hands Gloves Limited), Thailand Coordinator Mr. Raja Mishra, and member Mr. Varun Singh, attended the event.
Under Vishal Singh’s leadership, the attendees took a pledge to work together toward creating a hunger-free world.
Speaking on the occasion, Vishal Singh explained that the main goal of the Hunger Free World Mission is social participation. He said the mission is not just about feeding people but also about meeting other basic needs of those who are struggling. The mission focuses on helping families of terminally ill patients in hospitals by providing food and shelter. It also works to fulfill essential needs like education, jobs, and care for the elderly.
For the last 16 years, the Vijay Sri Foundation has been providing free services, benefiting thousands of people. Vishal Singh highlighted that the mission aims to gain global recognition like other organizations such as WHO, WWF, and Red Cross, which work for social causes.
During this meeting, Vishal Singh was appointed as the Chairman of the Hunger Free World Mission by representatives from various countries. They also discussed holding regular meetings in different countries to push the mission forward.
Business tycoon Dr. Abhishek Verma has also supported this humanitarian mission, vowing to promote the idea of “Seva Parmo Dharma” (Service is the highest duty) worldwide. Vishal Singh praised him, stating that people like Dr .Abhishek Verma inspire others to work for the betterment of society.
Recently, Romania’s Ambassador, Mr . Daniela Sezonov Ţane, invited Vishal Singh to the Romanian Embassy in Delhi, where they discussed the mission in detail. Impressed by his humanitarian work, she honored Vishal Singh and invited him to Romania to take the mission forward .
Food man Vishal Singh has been serving the people of India for the past 16 years. Through the Vijay Sri Foundation, he provides free meals to cancer patients & their families ,shelter, and education for women & children along with running free old-age homes in Lucknow.
In addition to his humanitarian work, Vishal Singh also addresses issues like crime and corruption through his role as Chairman of Seva Path Media and Managing Director of Vijay Sri Foundation.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Vishal Singh and his team worked tirelessly to provide food and help to the needy, including starving children, elderly citizens, and pregnant women. Despite contracting the virus himself, he continued to assist others after his recovery. He even created a life-saving oxygen regulator using household items, which was praised by doctors both in India and abroad.
In his address at the meeting, Vishal Singh spoke about his mission to create a hunger-free world. He pointed out that India’s large population, along with issues like unemployment and poverty, has caused the country to fall on the Hunger Index. He urged people to contribute just one handful of grains daily to help create a hunger-free world.
He concluded by saying that through social participation, we can empower the people around us, meet their basic needs, and work together to build a stronger, more prosperous, and developed society.