The Supreme Court on Friday “dismissed as withdrawn” a PIL filed by G.V. Harsha Kumar, a former MP from Andhra Pradesh, seeking a two-year cooling-off period for public servants before contesting Lok Sabha and Assembly elections, as they would otherwise be vulnerable to exploitation by political parties.

A bench of Justice Surya Kant and Justice Sandeep Mehta, however, did not show any inclination to entertain the petition.

“Suddenly before the polls everyone becomes interested in public interests. People are being over-conscious,” Justice Kant, heading the bench, told the petitioner’s counsel, Amol Karande, during a brief hearing.

“This report was of 2012... why suddenly in March, April 2024? You come with this petition. You, want to withdraw or argue?” the bench asked.

The bench then recorded the order: “After arguing the case for some time, learned counsel for the petitioner seeks to withdraw this petition with liberty to the petitioner to pursue the matter before the authorities. Permission, as prayed for, is granted.
The writ petition is accordingly dismissed as withdrawn with liberty as aforementioned.”

The development comes close on the heels of former Calcutta High Court judge Justice Abhijit Gangopadhyay and bureaucrats joining politics close to the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.