Rahul Gandhi will walk into a courtroom in Sultanpur on Monday morning, knowing that by noon the day could turn into one of the most closely watched legal moments of his political career. A special MP-MLA court in the Uttar Pradesh town is set to deliver its verdict in a defamation case that goes back to the Karnataka assembly election campaign of 2018, and the Congress leader is expected to be present in person when the judge pronounces the decision.
His defence counsel, advocate Kashi Prasad Shukla, confirmed on Sunday that Gandhi will appear before the court at 12 noon. The confirmation ended speculation about whether the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha would attend.
The case itself is narrow, but its stakes are not. It concerns alleged remarks Gandhi made about Amit Shah, then the national president of the BJP and now the Union Home Minister, while campaigning in Bengaluru on May 8, 2018. BJP leader Vijay Mishra, a former chairman of a district cooperative bank, filed the defamation complaint on August 4, 2018. Eight years on, after hearings that stretched across several years, the court fixed October 26 as the date for its verdict on October 13.
What happens in court today
The hearing is listed before Additional Civil Judge Shubham Verma of the Special MP-MLA Court in Sultanpur, a special court for cases involving sitting and former lawmakers.
Arguments are complete: the prosecution has finished, the defence has filed written arguments, and the complainant’s side has responded. That is why the court could fix a verdict date.
After the verdict is pronounced, one procedural step will follow whatever the outcome. Counsel for both sides have said compliance with Section 437A of the Code of Criminal Procedure will be carried out. That provision requires an accused person to execute bail bonds with sureties, so that he remains available before a higher court if an appeal is filed. Under the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, which has replaced the old code, the corresponding provision is Section 481.
Shukla has said Gandhi will then move on to his next scheduled engagement, a signal that the Congress does not expect the day to end in custody.
How the case reached this point
The road to Monday’s verdict has been long, which is why lawyers are treating the date as significant even though the alleged remarks are eight years old.
- May 8, 2018: Gandhi allegedly makes objectionable remarks about Shah during an election campaign event in Bengaluru, in the middle of the Karnataka assembly elections.
- August 4, 2018: Vijay Mishra files a defamation complaint before the Sultanpur court.
- November 27, 2023: The court summons Gandhi to face trial in the case.
- February 20, 2024: Gandhi appears before the court and is granted bail.
- October 13, 2026: After final arguments, the court fixes October 26 for the verdict and notes that Gandhi’s personal appearance will be required.
Mishra’s bid for a comparison of Gandhi’s voice sample was rejected by the trial court, and higher courts dismissed his challenges to that order. Only the main question remains: whether the 2018 remarks amount to defamation.
What is at stake for Gandhi
Counsel for the complainant, Santosh Kumar Pandey, has said Gandhi could face a maximum punishment of two years if the court finds sufficient evidence against him. That figure matters because, under the law on disqualification of lawmakers, a sentence of two years or more in a criminal case can trigger disqualification from Parliament, subject to appeal and stay by a higher court.
To be clear, a verdict date is not a conviction. The court could acquit Gandhi or convict him, and either side could appeal. A conviction would hand the BJP a fresh talking point, while an acquittal would let the Congress present the case as one that collapsed in court.
Gandhi, the Lok Sabha MP from Raebareli, leads the Opposition in the House, so any verdict concerning him will be read in Delhi as much as in Sultanpur. It lands in the middle of a sharp Congress-BJP exchange over voter list revision.
Until noon, though, the facts are these: the hearing is listed, Gandhi is expected to attend, the arguments are over, and the judge will speak. Everything else is anticipation.
FAQs
When will the Sultanpur court deliver its verdict?
The Special MP-MLA Court in Sultanpur is set to pronounce its verdict on Monday, October 26, 2026, with Rahul Gandhi expected to appear at 12 noon.
What is the case about?
It concerns alleged objectionable remarks Gandhi made about Amit Shah, then BJP national president, during the Karnataka election campaign in Bengaluru in May 2018.
Who filed the complaint?
BJP leader Vijay Mishra, a former chairman of a district cooperative bank, filed the defamation complaint on August 4, 2018.
What punishment could the case carry?
Counsel for the complainant has said the maximum punishment in the case could be two years, if the court finds the evidence sufficient.
What happens after the verdict?
Bail bond formalities will be completed, and either side can appeal the decision.
Monday’s verdict will not settle the larger political argument between the Congress and the BJP. It will, however, settle one eight-year-old legal question, and in a district court in Uttar Pradesh, that is enough to make it the day’s biggest political story.
