Allegations of corrupt practices and concealment: Voter challenges AAP MLA Sanjeev Arora's election victory

More than a month after Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) candidate Sanjeev Arora emerged victorious from the Ludhiana West Assembly constituency, a petition has been filed before the Punjab and Haryana High Court seeking to declare his election void on the grounds of corrupt practices and concealment of expenses.

Among other things, a voter has sought directions to declare that Arora used “illegal means", besides “unfair and corrupt practices” during the election process “for getting elected as Member of Parliament".

Petitioner Jaswinder Singh Malhi also alleged that Arora made intentional material concealments in an affidavit/Form 26 submitted with his nomination papers and furnished false and fabricated information to the election commission.

The petitioner, through counsel Simranjit Singh and Parminder Singh Vig, submitted that Arora failed to disclose complete particulars required under the rules and guidelines issued by the Election Commission of India, and that objections raised by several members of the general public were rejected “orally” under “pressure from unknown forces…”

It was also alleged that the expenditure incurred on setting up booths for distributing voters’ slips outside polling booths, conducting 25-30 public meetings daily, and on social media promotion and paid news was not disclosed.

The petition further alleged that if such promotion-related expenses were taken into account, the total expenditure would exceed the threshold prescribed by the Election Commission. It was asserted that Arora’s campaign included the engagement of professional religious preachers.

“It is pertinent to mention here that the respondent engaged professional religious preachers for his campaign and used their religious identity to seek votes in the name of religion, which is also illegal and, as such, amounts to corrupt practices,” he alleged.

The petitioner added that the respondent, belonging to the ruling party in Punjab, used all unfair methods to win the elections with the state machinery’s help.

“The team and family of the respondent visited various religious places, gurdwaras, and Hindu religious places and gave grants from non-sanctioned funds. They also carried out civil work as per the wishes of local leaders of religious places from the State exchequer and the local body - Municipal Corporation Ludhiana - under the discretionary limits of the municipal commissioner,” it was added.