On May 2, 2025, the Supreme Court of India declined to interfere with a Gujarat High Court ruling concerning Section 81 of the Representation of the People Act, 1951. This section mandates that election petitions must be filed within 45 days of the election result. The High Court had determined that merely submitting a defective election petition within this timeframe does not fulfill the requirements of Section 81. The Supreme Court upheld this view, emphasizing that allowing substantial defects to be rectified after the limitation period could undermine the strict timelines established by the Act. However, the Court left the broader legal question open for future consideration.

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