NEW DELHI: The Delhi High Court on Thursday raised questions regarding the maintainability of a petition challenging the AAP’s recent poll promise to provide a monthly stipend to women under the Mukhya Mantri Mahila Samman Yojana.
Justice Jyoti Singh queried how the issue could be treated as an election petition, suggesting instead that the petitioner file a Public Interest Litigation (PIL).
“How is it maintainable as an election petition? You go and file a PIL,” Justice Singh remarked during the hearing. The petitioner, Vijay Kumar, argued that AAP was misleading voters with a false promise, as the Delhi government had officially denied the existence of such a scheme.
Advocate Shiv Shankar Parashar, representing Kumar, stated that a complaint had been lodged with the Election Commission over the alleged deceptive announcement, but no action had been taken.
The petitioner urged the court to direct the EC to expedite the resolution of his complaint, filed on January 3.
Kumar’s plea also sought to halt the collection of forms related to the scheme by AAP workers, arguing that such activities could mislead and affect women voters in Delhi.
The controversy stems from a December 12, 2024, announcement by AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal, promising to increase the stipend from Rs 1,000 to Rs 2,100 if the party was re-elected.
However, on December 25, the Women and Child Development and Health departments of the Delhi government issued public notices disassociating themselves from the scheme.
Next hearing on January 10
The court has directed petitioner Vijay Kumar to provide further submissions on the maintainability of his plea and scheduled the next hearing for January 10. Kumar’s plea also sought to halt the collection of forms related to the scheme by AAP workers, arguing that such activities could mislead women