HC issues notice to Sanjeev Arora on plea against election

The High Court has issued a notice to MLA Sanjeev Arora on a petition challenging his election from the Ludhiana Assembly constituency. Justice Meenakshi I Mehta has also fixed October 13 for further hearing.

Petitioner Jaswinder Singh Malhi, a voter, has all along been alleging that Arora failed to disclose complete particulars required under the rules and guidelines issued by the Election Commission of India and that objections were raised by several people from the general public, but were rejected “orally” under “pressure of unknown forces…”

He has also been alleging 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 EC. It was asserted that Arora’s campaign included the engagement of professional religious preachers.

The petitioner added the respondent, belonging to the ruling party in Punjab, used unfair methods to win the election with state machinery’s help. — TNS