NEW DELHI: The Election Commission on Monday issued notice to V.K. Malhotra, the Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) candidate for Delhi chief minister, for violating instructions on the number of people and vehicles that accompanied him when he went to file his nomination.
The Election Commission of India said in a statement that the notice was issued for "violation of standing instructions regarding maximum number of vehicles permitted within periphery of 100 meters of returning officer and persons inside the chamber while filing his nomination papers".
Malhotra, who is contesting from the Greater Kailash constituency and filed his nomination at the returning office in Jamnagar House in Shahjahan Road on Saturday, denied the charges.
“I don't know why it is being done. When I went to Returning Officer there were only two persons with me -- my wife Krishna Malhotra and Delhi BJP chief Harsh Vardhan.
“There were no cars in front or behind my car. I will reply to it (the notice),” Malhotra said.
Malhotra has been asked to send his reply to the Election Commission on Tuesday.
The Election Commission has said that the maximum number of vehicles allowed to come within the periphery of 100 metres of the returning officer's chamber is three. The maximum number of persons allowed in at the time of filing nomination is the candidate plus four other individuals.
“The expenditure on vehicles that will be coming along with the candidate at the time of the filing of nominations shall be taken into account for calculating his expenditure if he remains in the fray,” the notice said.
They said that notice has been served on him following a news report that highlighted the violations.
“Therefore, the Commission has decided to afford V.K. Malhotra an opportunity to furnish an explanation as to why action should not be taken for the said alleged violation of the Commission's standing policy instructions,” it said.
