The Trinamool Congress has filed an interim application in the Meghalaya High Court demanding the de-recognition of the National People’s Party (NPP) and its election symbol withdrawn pertaining to the non-filing of the expenditure report for the Meghalaya Assembly polls 2018.
“The interim application has been moved considering that the Meghalaya High Court will be in recess till 27th January 2022 by which time it is anticipated that elections to the Meghalaya Assembly 2022 will be notified,” TMC spokesperson Saket Gokhale said.
Stating that the main case will, in all likelihood not be heard before Meghalaya Assembly Elections, 2022, Gokhale said that the NPP was de-recognized in 2015 by the Election Commission of India for the same default – i.e. non-filing of election expenditure statement in time.
Gokhale urged the high court to pass an interim order directing the Election Commission to de-recognize the NPP and withdraw its election symbol considering the 2015 action as a precedent.
Under EC rules, election expenditure statements have to be filed within 75 days of the conclusion of Assembly polls.
“Despite 3 notices being issued by the EC to the NPP over the last 4.5 years, the party has failed to submit its election expenditure statement till date in violation of EC rules and the judgment of the Supreme Court of India,” he added.
