Gomar under EC lens over poll expenditure
Sanjeev Singh Bariana
Tribune News Service
Chandigarh, December 29
Yamini Gomar, AAP national executive founder member who joined the Congress recently and has been aspiring for a party ticket, may find the going tough as she has failed to provide information on her expenditure during the Lok Sabha elections from Hoshiarpur in 2014.
The office of the Punjab Chief Electoral Officer has forwarded her case to the Chief Election Commissioner. She may be barred from contesting elections for three years if found guilty under Section 10-A of the Representation of the People Act, 1951, for “failing to lodge an account of election expenses within time”.
Gomar is a frontrunner for the Congress ticket from Sham Chaurasi, a reserved constituency. A prominent Dalit face in AAP, she had quit the party after failing to make it to the nomination list from Sham Chaurasi, or even Phagwara.
Responding to the development, Gomar said, “Certain vested interests are making unnecessary noise over a minor notice. There were objections to about Rs 10,600 in my account readings. These were because of same vehicles, under my name, shown to be plying at different places.” A senior official in the State Election Commission said, “The candidate has failed to file a detailed reply to our satisfaction. We have forwarded the matter to the EC”. Gomar, on her part, said she had sent the reply.
