1. The Applicant / Returned Candidate, who is presently the Union Home Minister, on an Election Petition filed against him, has filed an application to reject the Election Petition under Order VII Rule 11 CPC and also to strike out certain pleadings under Order VI Rule 16 CPC. The present application under Order VII Rule 11 CPC is made for the second time, though on an earlier occasion, an application was filed under the said provision on different grounds.

2. For the sake of convenience, the petitioner in the Election Petition, who is the first respondent in this application, will be referred to as the "Election Petitioner", while the applicant in this application, who is the first respondent in the Election Petition will be referred to as the "Applicant" and the 19th respondent in the Election Petition will be referred to as the "19th respondent" in this order.

3. The Election Petitioner has filed the Election Petition to declare the election of the Applicant from the Sivaganga Parliamentary Constituency as void, recounting of the votes and to declare him as duly elected candidate in the said constituency.

4. The following grounds have been raised by the Election Petit