EC tells BJP, NCP candidates to pay for illegal voter slips

The Election Commission has asked Bharatiya Janata Party candidate Kirit Somaiya and Nationalist Congress Party nominee Sanjay Dina Patil in the Mumbai Northeast constituency to add the cost of voter slips issued in violation of the rules to their election expenditure.

In an order issued two weeks ago, the Returning Officer asked Mr. Somaiya to add Rs. 20 lakh and Mr. Patil Rs. 8 lakh.

The Aam Aadmi Party, which has fielded Medha Patkar in the constituency, had complained about the voter slips. “The model code of conduct clearly states that candidates are not permitted to hand over voter slips containing the name or symbol of the party,” the complaint said. Copies of the laminated, plastic voter slips were enclosed with the complaint. The BJP’s slips had the photographs of Mr. Somaiya and the party’s prime ministerial candidate, Narendra Modi. The slogan

Ab ki baar Modi sarkaar, Kirit Somaiya apla khaasdar (Modi government will come in power this time, and Kirit Somaiya will be your MP) was overleaf.

The NCP’s slips had the symbol and photographs of Mr. Patil, party leaders Sharad Pawar and Ajit Pawar, Congress leaders Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi and Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan.