The Election Commission (EC) has slapped a notice on former chief minister Ashok Chavan for fudging expenses in the 2009 state elections.
The watchdog asked Chavan why he should not be disqualified, and granted him time till August 2, 2014. If Chavan fails to abide by the deadline, or his response turns out to be unsatisfactory, he could not only be disqualified as a member of the parliament but would also not be able to contest for the upcoming assembly elections.
Chavan represents the Nanded constituency in the Lok Sabha. He had resigned his assembly seat on May 22. The case relates to the Bhokar assembly constituency, from where Chavan was elected as a Congress candidate in 2009.
The EC order came on a complaint from former minister Madhavrao Kinhalkar, a rival candidate, and the BJP that Chavan got several advertisements, in the garb of news, published in newspapers, eulogising him and his achievements as chief minister.
The notice signed by all the three election commissioners – V S Sampath, H S Brahma and S N A Zaidi -- said Chavan has "failed to lodge his account of election expenses in the manner required by the (Representation of the People) Act and rules."
The EC, on the directions of the Supreme Court, had issued a notice to Chavan in May to appear before it in connection with the case. The EC order said a candidate who is declared disqualified by the Commission under Section 10 of the RP Act "incurs disqualification for contesting further elections to any House of Parliament or State Legislature for a period of three years, "and also for continuing as member of any such House, if he is already a sitting member from the date of the EC order and not from the date on which he contested the election or was elected."
"Therefore, the resignation of the respondent from the membership of the Maharashtra Assembly on May, 22, 2014, has no effect or impact on the continuance of the present proceedings before the Commission and the proceedings shall continue unabated until logical conclusion thereof," the EC order said.
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}