Congress targets Gopinath Munde for violating official limit on election spending

MUMBAI/NEW DELHI: A day after he publicly admitted to breaching the permissible limit on election spending in a display of candour tinged with bravado, senior BJP leader GopinathMunde has found himself having to defend his utterances that have left his party red-faced.


The Election Commission, which monitors spending by candidates during elections, has promised to take appropriate action amid calls for retribution from the Congress and other political rivals.

On Thursday, addressing a meeting in Mumbai in the presence of Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi, Munde said he spent on his campaign Rs 8 crore, instead of the upper limit of Rs 40 lakh, because contesting elections had become expensive.

If proved, a candidate can even be disqualified for violating the official limit for campaigning expenses, an official said.

The former Maharashtra deputy chief minister said he did not "care" if he was turfed out of Parliament by the Election Commission, saying fresh elections were around the corner.

EC will act after proper verification, Chief Election Commissioner VS Sampath has said. "The Commission has taken cognizance of your news report. We have to get authentic information on the speech. After that we will take action," Sampath told ET on Friday.

EC TO VERIFY FACTS

"We have our own way of verifying. We will first verify and then take appropriate action," Sampath said. Munde's rivals wasted no time in capitalising on his remarks.

Information and broadcasting minister Manish Tewari said he expected the Election Commission to step in and order a probe into Munde's admission of poll code violation.

Maharashtra Home Minister RR Patil, who described it as a brazen violation of rules, said the commission should bar candidates who violate rules from contesting polls. "The Election Commission should take the statement seriously.

The poll panel should also decide on whether to allow such candidates to contest elections again, I am sure party activists will file some appeal with EC to investigate this issue," he said.

The Congress said Munde's admission vindicated its stand that the BJP was using money power to win elections.

"The expenditure of BJP candidates in the earlier elections needs to be examined," Maharashtra Congress spokesman Sachin Sawant said, adding, "It is the same set of people who showed disrespect to Parliament by bringing cash in the House."

Munde, however, sought to downplay his remarks. "If the Election Commission asks me any question or sends me a notice, I will send them my reply. I made a statement in Thursday's function only to explain how election expenses are increasing and election reforms are necessary," Munde said in a statement.