HC stays EC order against ex-Maharashtra CM Ashok Chavan

Chavan failed to give the EC his true and correct expenses incurred in 2009 Assembly polls

The Delhi High Court today stayed the Election Commission's show cause notice to ex-Maharashtra Chief Minister Ashok Chavan asking him why he should not be disqualified for failing to give his true and correct expenses incurred in 2009 Assembly polls.

The commission in its July 13, 2014 order had given Chavan, an MP from Nanded parliamentary seat, a 20-day deadline to respond to the show cause notice which was issued after the poll panel had found him guilty of failing to "lodge his account of election expenses in the manner required by the (Representation of the People) Act and Rules."

Justice Suresh Kait also issued notice to BJP leaders Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi and Kirit Somaiya and independent candidate Madhavrao Kinhalkar, who had filed the complaint against Chavan in the commission.

"Notice to respondents (complainants). Returnable on November 5. Till further orders, impugned order dated July 13, 2014, shall remain stayed," the court said.

The court brushed aside the contention of senior advocate Jayant Bhushan, appearing for one of the complainants, that the poll panel's order be not stayed as it would "frustrate" the Supreme Court's May 5, 2014, order directing that the complaint regarding Chavan be decided within 45 days.

"I will justify it," Justice Kait said, adding that "admittedly EC did not pass its order within 45 days".

During the proceedings, senior advocate Kapil Sibal, who appeared for Chavan, contended that his client had filed all the correct poll expenses and had incurred an expenditure of Rs 6.85 lakh in the 2009 Assembly elections.

Chavan, in his petition filed through advocate Abhimanyu Bhandari, has sought that the July 13 order of EC be set aside to the extent that it holds that he had failed to lodge the poll expense account in the time and manner required under the law. He has also sought quashing of the show cause notice.

He has contended that the commission has not followed the procedure laid out in the Representation of the People Act prior to giving its findings, as no opportunity to file a revised poll expenses was provided to him.