HC seeks government, EC response on plea on poll expenditure

The Delhi High Court Wednesday issued notice to the central government and the Election Commission, seeking their response on a petition regarding regulation and monitoring of the election expenditure of political parties.

The petition, filed by Association for Democratic Reforms, requested that political parties should regularly submit their election expenditure statements beginning from one year prior to the date of polling and till the declaration of results.

The petition demanded that the current practice of filing the expenditure statements after 75 and 90 days, respectively, of assembly and Lok Sabha elections be scrapped.

The petition also demanded that the Law Commission's 170th Report on electoral reforms, with regard to the financial accountability of the political parties, be introduced.