Ahmedabad, Feb 15 (PTI) The Gujarat High Court on Monday disposed of a petition after the SEC allowed 32 Congress candidates to submit their mandate forms by February 16 for polls to the Palitana municipality after their earlier forms were torn by "some disgruntled elements" before the last date of submission on February 13, their lawyer said.

The State Election Commissioner (SEC) passed an order allowing the 32 Congress candidates to submit their mandate forms, which are submitted along with nomination papers, by February 16, their lawyer Anand Yagnik said.

These candidates had approached the HC seeking its direction to the SEC to accept their mandate forms (showing they are official party nominees) for the February 28 polls to the municipality in Bhavnagar district even after the last date for filing of nominations ended on February 13.

A bench of Justices JB Pardiwala and IJ Vora heard the matter on Monday and disposed of the petition after the SEC submission.

The State Election Commissioner told the court if a representation is made to him, the SEC would pass an order directing Election Officer/Returning Officer to accept the mandate forms for the 32 petitioner candidates on or before February 16, which they did soon thereafter.

Around two dozen persons "assaulted the authorised representatives of the Congress party carrying the mandate forms, scuffled with them and snatched the mandate papers and ran away," the candidates said in their representation before the SEC.

As many as 36 candidates of the Congress had submitted their nomination forms before the election Officer well within the last date on February 13.

However, their mandate forms were "snatched away and destroyed by disgruntled elements and opponents" before they could be submitted, the petition in the HC said.

Out of these 36 candidates, six managed to file their mandate forms, it said, adding the entire incident was captured in CCTV cameras.

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