MUMBAI, January 28: The Bombay High Court has summarily rejected dalit leader Raja Dhale's petition challenging R S Gavai's presidentship of the United Republican Party of India, thereby putting an end to a prolonged litigation.The division bench of Justice Ashok Agarwal and S Radhakrishnan today categorically ruled that ``we cannot entertain such a petition.'' The judges said Dhale and other nine member-leaders of the United RPI were told to resolve their leadership differences. The court had given them three chances to settle the matter amicably, thereby adjourning the matter three times. Earlier, the Election Commission had also given them time to come to an agreement over the presidentship, especially in the larger interest of the party.
However, the judges today lamented, ``the warring groups still do not see eye to eye with each other.'' They have not resolved their differences over the number of seats to be contested in the coming Lok Sabha elections.
While Dhale insists the party shouldcontest a minimum of seven seats in the state, Gavai says the party cannot bargain for more than four seats with its electoral ally, Congress (I). The judges also observed that both groups could not draft the minutes of any agreement, as promised in the court yesterday. ``Therefore, we are dealing with the merits of the case and disposing the petition.'' The court upheld the January 3 order of the E C as ``just and fair.''
Copyright © 1998 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.
