SATYANARAYANA RAJU, J.

( 1 ) THIS is an appeal, under section 116-A of the Representation of the People Act (hereinafter referred to as the Act) from an order made by the Election Tribunal, Chittoor, dismissing an election petition filed by the appellant.

( 2 ) IN February 1962, general elections were held for the Andhra Pradesh Legislative Assembly. The appellant and respondent were the contestants from the Vepanjeri constituency in the District of Chittoor. The poll was held in the various polling stations of the constituency on 19/02/1962. The total number of votes polled was 51,278. The respondent secured 25,131 votes and the appellant, 24,798. The invalid votes were 1,349. The Returning Officer declared the respondent to have been duly elected by a majority of 333 votes.

( 3 ) SHORTLY thereafter, on 6/04/1962, the appellant presented a petition to the Election Commission at New Delhi, in which he alleged that the respondent had committed several corrupt practices, and claimed a declaration that his election was void. The petition was, in due course, transmitted by the Election Commission to the Additional District Judge, Chittoor who has been designated as an Election Tribunal

Click Here to Read the rest of this document