Plea in HC against Bharti, Kejriwal over poll expenses
The Delhi high court kept two separate election pleas of BJP leaders against former chief minister Arvind Kejriwal and former law minister Somnath Bharti on Friday for framing of issues for allegedly exceeding poll expenses limit.
BJP leaders Vijender Gupta and Arti Mehra, who had lost the election from New Delhi and Malviya Nagar Assembly seats respectively, filed petitions seeking cancellation of Assembly membership of Aam Aadmi Party members, saying that they crossed the statutory limit of ` 14 lakhs in the 2013 polls.
The court fixed Ms Mehra’s petition for framing of issues against Mr Bharti on October 16 and the plea of Mr Gupta was fixed for September 26. The court asked both the sides to lead evidence before reaching any conclusion.
The court asked the counsel for BJP leader Gupta to bring on record all the relevant documents relied upon in the plea against AAP convenor Kejriwal.
The BJP leaders have alleged that the Aam Aadmi Party ( AAP) leaders spent more than ` 17 lakh each in the Assembly elections held on December 4, 2013, and sought orders declaring their election as null and void.
The Election Commission has set a limit of ` 14 lakhs for poll expenditure of every candidate during Assembly elections, argued the leaders in their petitions.
The petitions have also alleged that Mr Kejriwal and Mr Bharti indulged in “corrupt practices.”
They also alleged that the AAP leaders had incurred huge expenditure during the campaign by organising a rock show, Jeet Ki Gunj, Vote for Change, on November 23, 2013 at Jantar Mantar after filing their nomination papers.
The petitioners have also accused the two Aam Aadmi Party leaders for violating the model code of conduct issued by the Election Commission, the provisions of the Representation of the People Act.