EC gives Kejriwal 2 more days to reply to showcause notice

The Election Commission on Thursday granted two more days to AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal to respond to a showcause notice issued to him for prima facie violating the poll code by allegedly asking voters to take bribes from BJP and Congress but only vote for his party.

The Aam Aadmi Party convener was asked to respond to the showcause by Thursday failing which the EC was free to "take a decision without any further reference" to him. The EC now granted him time till 3 PM on Saturday to respond to the notice after Kejriwal sought more time today. He has to respond to an earlier notice issued by the Commission for another case of alleged Model Code of Conduct violation by tomorrow morning.

The poll body had issued a notice to the former Delhi chief minister on January 20 for allegedly making a speech where he had asked voters to take bribes from BJP and Congress but only vote for his party. The EC notice said the statement, made during a public rally on January 18 in Uttam Nagar here, amounts to "abetting and promoting electoral offence of bribery" under relevant sections of Representation of the People Act read with provisions of the IPC.