Imphal

The Manipur high court has declared Naga People's Front (NPF) leader Lorho S Pfoze's election "null and void" from Outer Manipur Lok Sabha constituency in 2019.

The petitioner Houlim Shokhopao Mate of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has been declared duly elected from the parliamentary constituency.

36-year-old Mate, had earlier filed an election petition in the Manipur HC claiming that the affidavit filed by Pfoze during the election process had many defects, errors and was incomplete.

The single-judge bench of the HC in its order said: "In view of the fact that there were eight candidates in the fray, the claim of the petitioner (Houlim Shokhopao Mate) to declare him as elected member cannot be denied for the reason that among all the candidates contested, the petitioner secured highest votes after the first respondent (Lorho S Pfoze)."

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"Consequent upon the findings that the election of the first respondent is declared as "null and void", the petitioner is entitled to be declared as elected member of Outer Manipur (ST) parliamentary constituency in the General election to the 17th Lok Sabha, 2019," the judge added in his order.