Patna, Nov. 25: Two marriages cost suspended Janata Dal (United) MP Manganilal Mandal his parliamentary seat when the high court here today declared his election “invalid”.

“The election of the sole respondent (Manganilal Mandal) from Jhanjharpur, which was held on April 23, 2009, is declared void (invalid),” Justice V.N. Sinha ruled.

Jhanjharpur, in Madhubani district, lies around 175km northeast of Patna.

The 63-year-old MP, who was suspended from the JD(U) for anti-party activities, had been accused of concealing property details of one of his wives in his nomination papers filed during the 2009 general elections. The court’s order came on a petition filed by a voter, Bishnudeo Bhandari. Mandal has two wives — Sunita Devi and Arti Mandal. The MP, however, submitted the details of assets and liabilities only of Arti Mandal in his affidavit to the Election Commission, while concealing the same of Sunita, his first wife.

Quoting a Supreme Court order of 2002 in his ruling, Justice Sinha said: “A contesting candidate must declare information to the Election Commission on three points — first, whether he is convicted/acquitted/ discharged of any criminal offence, second, whether the candidate is accused in any pending case of an offence punishable with imprisonment for two years or more prior to six months of filing of nomination and third, assets and liabilities of a candidate, his/her spouse and dependants.”

The apex court’s ruling was later incorporated in the Representation of the People Act, 1951, as Section 33 (a) through an amendment, making it mandatory for the candidates to file the details ahead of contesting the polls. The high court said Mandal had also violated the clauses of the Representation of the People Act.

Chief minister Nitish Kumar refused to comment on the high court ruling. “I am not yet aware of the court’s verdict. I have just received information,” Nitish said at a news meet.

The petitioner’s counsel, S.B.K. Mangalam, who was assisted by Ravi Ranjan, submitted before the court that Mandal had two wives but the MP furnished property details of only one of them. Mandal initially maintained he had only one wife but later filed an affidavit admitting that Sunita was his first wife.

Asked about the possibility of Mandal getting relief from the apex court, Mangalam said: “There is very remote chance of relief to Mandal in the case as the high court has made the Supreme Court’s order the basis of its ruling.”