D SANJEEVAYYA Vs. ELECTION TRIBUNAL ANDHRA PRADESH

JUDGEMENT

(1.) This appeal is brought. by special leave from the judgment of the High Court of Andhra Pradesh, dated September 19, 1966 in Writ Petition No. 1253 of 1965.

(2.) At the last General Election to the Andhra Pradesh Legislative Assembly held in February 1962 the appellant and the 2nd respondent - P. Rajaratna Rao - were the contesting candidates for election from the Kodumuru constituency in Kurnool District. The result of the election was announced on February 25, 1962 and the appellant was declared to have been elected by a majority of about 7,000 votes. The second respondent thereafter filed an election petition (Election Petition No. 180 of 1962) under S. 81 of the Representation of the People Act. 1951 (Act 43 of 1951), hereinafter called the 'Act' calling in question the election of the appellant on the ground that various corrupt practices had been committed at the election and claiming a two-fold relief namely, that the election of the appellant should be declared to be void and that respondent No. 2 himself should be declared to have been duly elected. After the appellant had filed written statement, the Election Tribunal, Hyderabad, framed twenty-two issues, but the trial of election petition could not be proceeded with as the appellant filed several interlocutory application raising various objections and after they were overruled by the Election Tribunal, the appellant filed several writ petitions in the Andhra Pradesh High Court. During the pendency of the election petition the appellant was appointed by the President of India as Minister for Labour and Employment in the Central Cabinet. Subsequent to that appointment the appellant was elected as a Member of the Rajya Sabba on March 26,1964. Thereupon the appellant resigned his seat in the Legislative Assembly on April 8, 1964 and intimated the same to the Speaker of the Assembly. 0n September 2, 1965 the appellant filed the present Writ Petition (Writ Petition No. 1253 of 1965) before the Andhra Pradesh High Court praying for a writ in the nature of mandamus commanding the Election Commission of India to act under S. 150 of the Act and call upon the Kodumuru constituency to elect a person for the purpose of filling, up the vacancy caused by the resignation of the appellant The appellant also prayed for a writ directing the Election Commission to withdraw election petition No. 180 of 1962 from the file of the Election Tribunal Hyderabad and to stay all further proceedings in the trial of that election petition pending the disposal of the writ petition. In the Court the of argument before the High Court the appellant did not press the second prayer for 'directing the Election Commission to withdraw the election petition from the file of the Election Tribunal, Hyderabad'. With regard to the first prayer, the High Court held that no case was made out for the issue of a writ of mandamus to the Election Commission and accordingly dismissed the writ petition.

(3.) On behalf of the appellant argument was put forward that as soon as the appellant resigned his seat in the Legislative Assembly under Art. 190 (3) (b) of the Constitution of India there was duty cast on the Election Commission to take steps to hold a bye-election for filling the vacancy so caused under S. 150 of the Act. It was contended that it was incumbent upon the Election Commission to discharge this duty immediately without waiting for the result of the election petition filed by respondent No. 2 on April 11, 1962. Article 190 (3) of the Constitution states: