State of Uttar Pradesh v. Raj Narain
| State of Uttar Pradesh v. Raj Narain | |
|---|---|
| Court | Allahabad High Court |
| Full case name | The State of Uttar Pradesh v. Raj Narain |
| Decided | 12 June 1975 |
| Citation | 1975 AIR 865; 1975 SCR (3) 333 |
| Case history | |
| Prior actions | Election petition filed under the Representation of the People Act, 1951 by Raj Narain |
| Subsequent actions | Appeal to the Supreme Court of India; conviction conditionally stayed on 24 June 1975 and formally overturned on 7 November 1975 in Indira Gandhi v. Raj Narain |
| Court membership | |
| Judge sitting | Jagmohanlal Sinha |
| Case opinions | |
| Found Prime Minister Indira Gandhi guilty of electoral malpractices, declared her 1971 election null and void and disqualified her for six years. | |
| Laws applied | |
| Representation of the People Act, 1951 ยง 123(7) | |
The State of Uttar Pradesh v. Raj Narain (1975 AIR 865, 1975 SCR (3) 333) was an election case heard by the Allahabad High Court in 1975 that found the Prime Minister of India Indira Gandhi guilty of electoral malpractices. The election petition was filed by Raj Narain, a candidate from the Rae Bareli constituency, who alleged misuse of public finances by a political party for the re-election of the Prime Minister of India. In a landmark verdict, Justice Jagmohanlal Sinha of the court held Indira Gandhi guilty under Section 123(7) of the Representation of the People Act, 1951, for obtaining assistance from gazetted officers in furtherance of her election prospects. The court declared Gandhi's election "null and void" and disqualified her from holding any elected office for six years from the date of the judgment. The decision led to an ensuing legal battle and political crisis leading to the imposition of a state of emergency by Gandhi in 1975.