THREE CANDIDATES DID NOT REACH
MATCHING OF EXPENDITURE TO BE DONE THRICE BEFORE POLLING
PERMISSIONS OF CANDIDATES WHO FAIL TO GET THEIR EXPENDITURE CHECKED/MATCHED WOULD BE CANCELLED
Ludhiana, May 7, 2019: The election expenditure of candidates of the upcoming Lok Sabha 2019 elections, was checked in the presence of Expenditure Observers at Bachat Bhawan, here today. During today’s inspection, the expenditure agents/candidates got their expenditure register matched with the shadow register. Three candidates or their expenditure agents failed to attend today’s inspection.
While providing information, ADC (Jagraon)-cum-Nodal Officer SVEEP activities Mrs Neeru Katyal Gupta stated that the election expenditure of candidates is to be matched/checked thrice before polling. Today, the expenditure for first phase was matched/checked, similarly, the election expenditure would again be checked on May 11 and May 16.
The candidates who failed to attend today’s inspection were Pardeep Bawa from Samaj Adhikar Kalyan Party, Baljit Singh from Bharat Prabhat Party and Rajinder Ghai from Hindu Samaj Party. Mrs Neeru Katyal Gupta informed that the candidates or their expenditure agents who did not attend today’s inspection, a notice would be issued to them by the Returning Officer and they would be directed to attend the next inspection on May 11, 2019. And if they fail to attend that inspection as well, then all permissions related to use of vehicles for campaigning would be cancelled, besides, a case under section 171-I of IPC would be registered against them in court.
Mrs Gupta said that the returning officer, in a special meeting with the candidates, had briefed them about the expenditure limit, ways to maintain the expenditure record, get expenditure register checked by the expenditure observer regularly etc.
She also informed that as per the directions of Election Commission of India, if a criminal case is registered against any candidate, he would have to advertise it thrice each in print as well as electronic media (on different dates) so that the voters come to know about it.