JUDGMENT

BEG, C.J.I. :— This is a petition under Section 14 of the Presidential and Vice-Presidential Elections Act, 1952 (hereinafter the election of Shri Neelam Sanjeeva Reddy as a President of India at the Presidential election held on 19th July, 1977. Section 14 and the relevant part of S. 14-A of the Act read as follows:

"14. (1) No election shall be called in question except by presenting an election petition to the authority specified in sub-s.(2).

(2) The authority having jurisdiction to try an election petition shall be the SC.

(3) Every election petition shall be presented to such authority in accordance with the provisions of this Part and of the rules made by the SC under Art. 145.

14-A. (1) An election petition calling in question an election may be presented on one or more of the grounds specified in sub-s. (1) of S. 18 and S. 19, to the SC by any candidate at such election, or-

(i) in the case of Presidential election, by 20 or more electors joined together as petitioners."

2. Among the rules made by this Court, Part VII, O. 39 contains rules relating to election petitions made under Part III mentioned in S. 14 (3) of the Act. Rule 2 of O. 39 lays down:

"2. An application c