EC disqualifies 4 candidates for not filing election expense

The Election Commission has disqualified four losing candidates in last year's Puducherry Assembly polls, from contesting elections for the next three years, for failure to submit their poll-related expenditure accounts.
The Election Commission order issued on November 23 has been published by the Puducherry Election Department in the Union Territory Gazette.
P Sivakumar, A Haridass and G Sathiyanandam of the Naam Tamilar Katchi and VV Shaj Kumar of Pattali Makkal Katchi, who unsuccessfully contested the polls held here last year, were disqualified by the Election Commission, the order said.
The candidates have been disqualified for failure to submit the accounts of their poll expenses as required by the Representation of the People Act 1951.

It also said these candidates have either not furnished any reason or explanation for the failure to lodge the audited accounts even after due notice by the commission.
The Commission is satisfied that "they have no good reason or justification for the failure" and declared them to be disqualified for being chosen as a Member of either the House of Parliament or Legislative Assembly or Council of a State or Union Territory for a period of three years, it added.