Haryana polls: 5 candidates given notices for discrepancies in campaign expenditure record

Five candidates contesting the October 15 assembly elections from Panchkula assembly seat have been issued notices by the returning officer concerned as discrepancies were found in their entries in the records for campaign expenditure.

The District Election Officer said discrepancies were found in the 'expenditure registers' of the five candidates in which they are supposed to make daily entries regarding expenses incurred in election campaigning. Individual expenditure registers have been presented to them by the Election Expenditure Observer JP Singh.

In the case of INLD candidate Kulbhushan Goyal, there were discrepancies in the entries made on September 28 and October 3 showing less number of chairs than used. Similarly, Ravinder Rawal, of Haryana Janhit Congress (BL) was also served notice as details of expenditure were incorrectly entered on September 28 for lunch, tent and flax.

These were again incorrect on October 2 for rent of election office and on October 3 for cards and flax. The District Election Officer said Gian Chand Gupta of BJP had made wrong entries on September 26 regarding vehicles used in road show, water tank, tent and generator, and September 27 for flags, tent, stage, chairs, tables, sound system. Similarly, there were discrepancies in entries made for October 3.

He said Devender Kumar Bansal of Indian National Congress was also served notice for not presenting the expenditure register before the Election Expenditure Observer within the stipulated time and for defying the instructions issued by the Election Commission of India.

Vishavdeepak Sharma of Bahujan Samaj Party was also served a notice for similar reasons, he added.