The High Court upheld Independent MLA Ritu Banawat’s election but imposed a ₹1 lakh cost for deliberately evading court summons during the proceedings.
June 30, 2026: The Rajasthan High Court has dismissed an election petition challenging the victory of Independent Bayana MLA Ritu Banawat, ruling that the allegations were not sufficient to invalidate the electoral mandate. The petition, filed by Purushottam Lal, who contested the 2023 Rajasthan Assembly elections from the Bayana constituency, alleged that Banawat had failed to disclose complete details of her assets and liabilities while filing her nomination papers. However, the court held that the alleged omissions were neither substantial nor capable of affecting the validity of the election.
Justice Sudesh Bansal also expressed strong displeasure over Banawat’s conduct during the legal proceedings, observing that she had deliberately avoided receiving court summons. After repeated attempts to serve notices failed, the court resorted to serving her through the Secretary of the Rajasthan Legislative Assembly. Taking note of her conduct, the court imposed a cost of ₹1 lakh for deliberately evading the judicial process.
During the hearing, Banawat’s counsel argued that all mandatory disclosures had been made in accordance with the law and that there was no requirement to disclose a bank account opened exclusively for election expenses. The defence also maintained that the allegations regarding agricultural income were baseless. Accepting these submissions, the High Court dismissed the petition and observed that overturning an elected representative’s mandate over minor and technical omissions would undermine the democratic process.