New Delhi: The Delhi High Court has stayed the Election Commission showcause notice against former Maharashtra chief minister Ashok Chavan. The Election Commission had issued a notice to Chavan for failing to lodge his election expenses as per law in the 2009 paid news case.
The EC had on July 25 told the High Court that being a quasi-judicial body, it will not defend its order holding Chavan guilty of failing to give his correct expenses in the 2009 assembly polls.
Chavan, an MP from Nanded parliamentary seat, was given a 20-day deadline on July 13 to respond to a consequent showcause notice of the poll panel which has held that he has "failed to lodge his account of election expenses in the manner required by the (Representation of the People) Act and rules."
The finding of the commission, which formed the basis of the showcause notice, could pave the way for his disqualification as an MP and bar him from contesting polls for three years
Chavan had moved the court against the EC's July 13 order, saying the panel has not followed the procedure laid out in the Representation of People Act prior to giving its findings. He had also said that the expenses that he had allegedly not declared pertained to some advertisements that were released in October 2009 regarding a meeting that was to be held between the members of United Progressive Alliance (UPA).
Senior advocate Kapil Sibal had appeared for Chavan and argued that the ex-CM did not know who had issued the advertisements.
Chavan had won the 2009 assembly election from Bhokar in Maharashtra's Nanded Lok Sabha constituency. He won the recent Lok Sabha polls from Nanded.
(With additional information from PTI)
Comments
0 comment