Ratlam seat declared vacant,MLA cries foul

The Madhya Pradesh High Court held in April this year that Saklecha was guilty of corrupt practices as defined under the Representation of the People Act,1951,and set aside his victory in the 2008 Assembly election,responding to a petition by former minister Himmat Kothari.

Kothari,who lost by a margin of more than 31,000 votes,had argued in the High Court that Paras Saklecha maligned his image in the eyes of his voters by leveling allegations for which he had no evidence.

The arguments went on for more than four years before the high court declared the election as null and void,and directed that the Vidhan Sabha secretariat and the Election Commission of India be informed.

Kothari,a powerful Jain community leader,had filed a caveat in the Supreme Court immediately after the HC verdict. The apex court after getting replies from Kothari and Saklecha had fixed June 24 as the date of hearing. However,the Assembly secretariat issued a notification Thursday declaring the Ratlam seat as vacant.

Saklecha has said that at least two legislators whose elections had been set aside on caste grounds were given more time and the notifications were not issued.