EC lens on AAP for not providing poll expenses
NEW DELHI: The Election Commission (EC) on Wednesday issued showcause notices, threatening to derecognise six political parties, including the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), for failing to file their expenditure statements for the last Lok Sabha polls.
Issuing a stern warning to these parties, the poll panel has invoked the provisions of section 16(A) of the Election Symbols (reservation and allotment) Order which empowers the Commission “to suspend or withdraw recognition of a political party” for violation of set norms, even as it gave these parties a final window of 20 days to comply.
The parties, who have been issued the notices today, include the AAP, Peoples Party of Arunachal, Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM), Kerala Congress (M), National People Party of Manipur and Haryana Janhit Congress (BL).
The EC has taken the decision after two of its earlier “reminders” in this regard to these parties went unacknowledged, sources said.
According to rules, all political parties who have contested the general elections are stipulated to file their expenditure statements within a period of 90 days to the EC, failing which they stand to lose their election symbol and thereby their recognition.
The EC had earlier issued reminders to these parties on October 22 and November 28 last year and since it did not receive the said expenses statements from these parties, it chose to issue the “final showcause” notices.
The notice issued to the AAP office in Kaushambi says that the party has failed to submit the report even though as per rules it was suppose to do so by October 2014. The party had contested over 400 seats in May 2014 polls, third largest after BJP and the Congress.