SC stays EC order revoking Kamal Nath’s star campaigner status for MP bypolls

New Delhi, Nov 2 : In a relief to Kamal Nath, the Supreme Court on Monday pulled up the Election Commission and stayed its order of withdrawing star campaigner status of the former Chief Minister and senior Congress leader.
Senior advocate Rakesh Dwivedi, representing the Election Commission, submitted before a bench headed by Chief Justice S.A. Bobde that the matter has become infructuous as the campaigning has already ended and the bypolls are due on November 3.
Senior advocate Kapil Sibal, representing Kamal Nath, opposed the arguments made by Dwivedi. “No notice was issued to us and this was arbitrary,” said Sibal Pulling up the Election Commission, the Chief Justice said: “We are staying your order.” The Chief Justice asked the poll panel, who gave it the power to delist a candidate from being a star campaigner or a leader of the party under Section 77 of the Representation of People’s Act? Dwivedi submitted, “We will file a reply.”