Atishi Marlena, Aam Aadmi Party's candidate in East Delhi parliamentary constituency, is seeking to keep up the pressure on her rival, ex-cricketer Gautam Gambhir, who has been fielded by the BJP, by raising the issue of alleged violations of the model code of conduct by him.
The AAP leader, on Monday, wrote to the returning officer, claiming that Gambhir has been distributing pamphlets without details such as the printer's name and quantity, in violation of rules. She specified in the letter that this is the third time in a row that the cricketer-turned-politician has allegedly violated the MCC.
Also read
- Panel pulls up Centre for failing to give EVM-VVPAT tally data for 2019 Lok Sabha polls
- Defeated by BJP's EVM hacking, party sabotage: Congress candidate
- Gehlot in damage-control mode after blaming Pilot for Jodhpur loss
- 'Priyanka did her job, but party, workers could not rise to occasion'
- EVMs a must for democracy, can't be tampered with: BEL CMD
“Such continued blatant disregard for Election Commission is contrary to spirit of democracy and endangers the free and fair process of elections. Only an exemplary punishment can deter such continued willful violation,” she wrote.
On Sunday, Atishi had complained to the commission about Gambhir allegedly holding a public rally without the poll body's permission. She also demanded a 72-hour ban on Gambhir from campaigning. On April 27, the EC had sought registration of an FIR against Gambhir for holding a rally without permission. A day before, Atishi had raised the issue of Gambhir allegedly being registered as a voter in at least two different constituencies.
Gambhir had responded to the charge of having two different voter IDs, saying, “When you don't have a vision and have done nothing in the last four-and-a-half years, you make such allegations. The EC will decide this. When you have a vision, you don't do such negative politics.”
Atishi, meanwhile, reacted to Gambhir's argument that the AAP was making such attacks on him because it has no vision for Delhi and the party has not done any work for the people of Delhi, saying she wanted to throw an open challenge to Gambhir and invite him for an open debate. “I want to invite Gautam Gambhirji for an open debate on the issue of what has the AAP done for the people of East Delhi and what work the BJP's MP Mahesh Giri has done in the area,” she said.
The BJP has countered the barrage of complaints against Gambhir by moving court with a complaint against Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's wife, alleging that her name figures in the electoral rolls of two different constituencies.
Delhi BJP spokesperson Harish Khurana filed the complaint against Sunita Kejriwal in the Tis Hazari court, the same court where Atishi filed a case against Gambhir.
“That the accused being highly qualified and holding responsible post in the Income Tax Department being an IRS officer, is privy to the consequences of committing electoral offences and has deliberately and intentionally made false statement before the authority at time of inclusion of the name in the electoral roll from another constituency,” the complaint stated.
The BJP petition claimed that Sunita Kejriwal is registered as a voter in Chandni Chowk constituency of Delhi as well as in Sahibabad constituency in Uttar Pradesh.
