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8. The Apex Court has, thus, in unequivocal terms laid down that in the election petition since the dispute is required to be resolved between the candidates at the election, all parties other than the candidates are excluded.

9. The question whether the Election Commission of India can be impleaded as party respondent in election petition came up for consideration before the Apex Court in B. Sundara Ramii Reddy (cited supra). That was a case in which the election of a member of the Andhra Pradesh Legislative Assembly was challenged by an unsuccessful candidate by filing election petition before the Andhra Pradesh High Court. The Election Commission was impleaded as party respondent No. 2 since in the election petition the petitioner challenged the validity of the order of the Election Commission declaring polling at a particular polling station as void and directing re-polling at the polling station. Upon an application being made by the Election Commission for its deletion from array of parties on the ground that it was not necessary party, the Apex Court held thus :-