The district election officer has issued notices to Congress candidate in the fray from Amritsar Captain Amarinder Singh and SAD-BJP nominee Arun Jaitley for alleged under-reporting of their election expenditures.
They have been directed to present themselves at the office for reconciliation of records of the EC’s observers and their claims in this regard on April 26-27. Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) candidate Dr Daljit Singh’s expense report has been found to tally with that of the EC’s.
As noted in the Candidate Shadow Observation Register, Dr Daljit Singh’s expenditure (as disclosed by him) till April 22 is 20,52,452. The remarks of the DEO in the register testify to the same.
For Jaitley and Amarinder, there are discrepancies.
Jaitley claims to have spent not more than 9,80,593 on electioneering. The DEO, however, has cited 25,61,955 as the amount spent by Jaitley on his campaigns in his remarks in the Candidate Shadow Observation Register. The Congress has demanded that the expenses incur red on inviting movie stars to campaign for Jaitley be included in his poll expenditure too.
Meanwhile, Amarinder claims to have spent 13,60,572 on his campaign, while the DEO has put the figure at 15,45,379. “Only AAP candidate Dr Daljit Singh has been forthcoming in declaring his poll expenses incurred so far.
{{/usCountry}}Meanwhile, Amarinder claims to have spent 13,60,572 on his campaign, while the DEO has put the figure at 15,45,379. “Only AAP candidate Dr Daljit Singh has been forthcoming in declaring his poll expenses incurred so far.
{{/usCountry}}The other two have with held information pertaining to the exact amount spent by them on canvassing because of which notices have been issued to them to visit the office on April 26 and 27 and reconcile the exact amounts spent on their campaigns,” said DEO Ravi Bhagat.
ACTORS’ CAMPAIGN NOT INCLUDED IN JAITLEY’S EXPENSES: CONG
With actors like like Vivek Oberoi, Suniel Shetty and Manoj Tiwari campaigning for Jaitley, the Congress has written a letter to the EC, demanding the inclusion of amount spent on these stars’ travel and stay in Jaitley’s expenditure details.
Congress spokesperson Vimal Sumbly claimed that a number of actors had canvassed for Jaitley, but expenses incurred on them were not included in the poll expense declaration.
“The BJP had paid for their air tickets and hotel bill, which have not been mentioned in his poll expenses. They were not friends of Jaitley, as is being claimed,” he said.
However, DEO Ravi Bhagat said that the definition of star campaigners in this case was very different and entailed campaigning by political bigwigs and not cinema stars.