Rashtriya Lok Dal MP Jayant Chaudhary has been absolved of the charge of violating the model code during an election meeting in the Goverdhan Assembly constituency in Uttar Pradesh.
Returning Officer Rekha Chauhan, who served notice on him on February 19, was satisfied with his reply submitted on Monday and it was decided to close the file. The case against the RLD candidate from Goverdhan, Megh Shyam Singh, has also been closed.
Video footage
Mr. Chaudhary, son of Civil Aviation Minister Ajit Singh, is contesting the Assembly polls from Maanth in Mathura district. The notice was issued to him after the Election Commission took cognisance of video footage showing an exchange of currency notes during Sunday's meeting at Magorra. The MP was campaigning for Mr. Megh Shyam Singh.
In his reply, Mr. Chaudhary said he was given some cash by the former gram pradhan and Magorrra resident, Thaan Singh, for “election management.” The monetary help provided by the people for the RLD election campaign in villages “did not amount to violation of the Model Code of Conduct.” It was wrong to say cash was exchanged at the meeting. “To say that Section 171 of the IPC has been violated is baseless,” he said.
RLD general secretary Anil Dubey, talking to journalists here, alleged that the notice to Mr. Chaudhary was served at the behest of the Mayawati government, to malign the party.
