Kejriwal gets Election Commission notice for rock show expenses

Senior AAP leader Manish Sisodia says the allegations are not justified

Delhi's Election Commission has issued a show cause notice to AAP convener Arvind Kejriwal over a "discrepancy" between the amount shown as poll expenses by him and that recorded in a shadow register maintained by poll officials.

"The show cause notice was issued yesterday by the concerned Returning officer to Kejriwal stating that expenses shown by him in connection with a musical event held at Jantar Mantar does not match with the expenses recorded by the Delhi EC in its shadow register," said a senior election official adding a reply has been sought from him in this regard.

According to the EC official, Kejriwal has shown an expenditure of Rs 3 lakh on its candidate's account as contrary to the records maintained by the shadow expenditure register which shows the figure as Rs 16 lakh.

As per the notice, Kejriwal was asked to give an explanation today but he sought for extension of date by a couple of days as he is out of town.

Senior AAP leader Manish Sisodia said Kejriwal has been issued a show cause notice adding the allegations are not justified.

"The musical event at Jantar Mantar was organised on behalf of the party and thus the expenses should have been included in the party's account and not in the candidate's (Kejriwal) account. This is just not fair," Sisodia said.

To keep a check on expenditures inccured by candidates and the political parties, the Delhi Election Commission has mantained a shadow expenditure register of each of them.