UNI

New Delhi, Jun 8: The Delhi High Court has issued notice to the Election Commission of India on the petition of former MP Satyapal Malik challenging the constitutional validity of electing four members to the Rajya Sabha in a by-election on June 15 through single transferable vote procedure.

A division bench headed by acting Chief Justice Vijender Jain asked the EC to file its reply to the petition before the next date of hearing in August 2006.

Refusing to stay the election, the Court observed that order on the petition would be binding even though the election to the Rajya Sabha was over.

Malik has sought the direction of the court to quash the press note of the EC on May 20, 2006 to conduct by-election for four MPs for Rajya Sabha falling vacant due to disqualification of Jaya Bachchan(UP), death of Pramod Mahajan (Maharashtra), resignation of industrialist Anil Ambani (UP) and Ghulam Nabi Azad (Now Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir).

Industrialist Rahul Bajaj (an independent candidate from Maharashtra) and others have already filed their nominations for the election to be held on June 15.

Jaya Bachchan and Aamir Alam Khan (both of the Samajwadi Party) have been elected unopposed from Uttar Pradesh.