Manipur MLA may lose post

IMPHAL: Congress MLA and parliamentary secretary (youth affairs and sports) M Prithiviraj Singh is in trouble as the Supreme Court on Friday upheld an earlier high court verdict that declared his election as null and void.
Prithiviraj won on a Congress ticket from Moirang constituency in Bishnupur district in the 2012 assembly polls by defeating his arch rival P Sharatchandra Singh, a former IAS officer.
Sharatchandra challenged Prithiviraj's election in the high court saying that he had submitted fake MBA degree certificate of Mysore University in his affidavit to election officials. Authorities of Mysore University had clarified that no such certificate was issued to Prithiviraj.
Thereafter, the Manipur high court, in February, declared Prithiviraj's election as a legislator in the assembly null and void.
Challenging the HC verdict, Prithiviraj had filed a civil appeal to Supreme Court, which, after hearing both sides, on Friday dismissed the appeal and endorsed the Manipur high court's ruling. "We are in agreement with the high court and we do not intend to interfere with the discretion exercised by the high court," maintained the apex court in its verdict.
Sharatchandra contested the 2012 polls on a Trinamool Congress ticket and joined BJP recently. He is also an aspiring BJP candidate for the coming crucial assembly polls likely to be held early next year from Moirang constituency.