EC adds Rs 1.74 lakh to Sunny Deol’s poll expenditure for Facebook page

Chandigarh, May 15

The Election Commission on Wednesday issued directions for adding Rs 1.74 lakh to the election expenditure of Bollywood actor and BJP candidate from Gurdaspur Lok Sabha seat Sunny Deol after he failed to respond to its query on a Facebook page being run in his support.

The order came following a complaint filed by Punjab Congress, claiming that the Facebook page, ‘Fans of Sunny Deol’, was being run without any prior permission of poll watchdog.

Punjab’s Chief Electoral Officer S Karuna Raju said the Congress had lodged a complaint to the EC on May 6 in this regard.

“An enquiry was conducted by nodal officer of Media Certification and Monitoring Committee Gurdaspur. A notice was also served to the admin of ‘Fans of Sunny Deol’ page and BJP candidate to seek their explanation. But both failed to reply within stipulated time frame,” Raju said in a release.

Relying on the veracity of the complaint, the committee decided to add Rs 1,74,644 to the expenditure of Deol, Raju said.

Deol is pitted against sitting MP and Punjab Congress candidate Sunil Jakhar from Gurdaspur constituency.

A candidate for Lok Sabha election in Punjab can spend a maximum of Rs 70 lakh. — PTI