BJP yet to file election expenses of 2013 Delhi elections to EC: ADR

Political parties are required to submit a statement of election expenditure to the Election Commission within 75 days of completion of Assembly elections

Key political parties contesting the Delhi assembly polls haven’t submitted their election expenditure to the Elections Commission (EC), according to Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR). It said on Friday that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) was yet to present its expenditure statement for the 2013 Delhi Assembly polls to the EC,. 

“The total funds collected by national parties during the 2013 Assembly elections were Rs 94.7 lakh and total expenditure incurred by them was Rs 232 lakh. The BJP, however, has not submitted its statement till date,” said Jagdeeo Chhokar, founder member, ADR.  

He said AAP was an unrecognised party at the time of 2013 polls and is, thus, not required to give an account of its election expenditure. However, in a letter to the EC on February 22, 2014, AAP had requested for a grace period of 15 days, but the EC hasn't received the statement yet, Chhokar added.  Political parties are required to give a statement of election expenditure to the EC within 75 days of the completion of Assembly elections. (ELECTION WATCH)

ADR found that six candidates with assets worth more than Rs 1 crore have not declared their permanent account number, or PAN, and 261 candidates have not furnished their income-tax details. It also analysed the change in average assets of 62 sitting MLAs who are re-contesting. Their assets have increased by two per cent.

Commerce minister and BJP leader Nirmala Sitharaman said AAP was yet to submit its election expenditure details for the 2014 Lok Sabha elections. Terming AAP an “anti-woman party”, Sitharaman said there had been an exodus of woman leaders from the AAP. She also said the Arvind Kejriwal-led party’s campaign terming BJP chief ministerial candidate “opportunist” betrayed the former’s misogynist attitude.

Displaying a chart, which she claimed was downloaded from the AAP website, Sitharaman alleged that phone calls in support of the AAP were from Dubai, Pakistan and Bangladesh.