The All India Trinamool Congress (AITC) has alleged that the ruling National People’s Party (NPP) has not filed its election expenditure report for the Meghalaya Assembly Elections in 2018, which is in violation of the Supreme Court of India order.
AITC national spokesperson Saket Gokhale has yesterday lodged a complaint to Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Frederick Roy Kharkongor regarding the violation of the order of the Supreme Court by the NPP. Gokhale also gave seven days’ time to the CEO to act on the complaint.
According to the order of the Supreme Court of India in Common Cause vs Union Of India & Others (AIR 1996 SC 3081), and the subsequent pro-forma notified by the Election Commission, it is mandatory for political parties to file their election expenditure reports with the Chief Electoral Officer of the state within 75 days of Assembly election or 90 days of Lok Sabha elections.
“However, the website of the Election Commission also displays that the required expenditure report by the NPP for the 2018 Assembly elections has neither been filed nor uploaded in the last four years,” Gokhale said in the complaint.
He also said that as per Para 16A of the Election Symbols (Reservation and Allotment) Order, 1968, the Election Commission of India is required to take stringent action against a defaulting political party “and the failure to do so points out the major lapse on their part”.
The AITC national spokesperson has urged the Chief Electoral Officer to order a detailed inquiry as to whether a show cause notice has been issued against the NPP and also to initiate immediate action.
“It is earnestly requested that an action-taken report be submitted on this complaint to the undersigned within seven working days of the receipt of this complaint in the interest of transparency as well as the conduct of free and fair elections for which the Election Commission of India is duty-bound under Article 324 of the Constitution of India,” Gokhale added.
