Poll panel not satisfied with V K Malhotra’s reply on model code violation

NEW DELHI: The Election Commission on Sunday conveyed its dissatisfaction over the reply given by BJP���s chief ministerial candidate in Delhi V K Malhotra to its notice on the issue of violation of model code of conduct. The poll panel had served a notice to Mr Malhotra last week for violating norms on number of vehicles and people permitted at the time of filing his nomination papers.

Mr Malhotra replied to the notice the following day, but the commission on Sunday said it found the reply ���not satisfactory��� and conveyed its displeasure to him. The BJP leader, who is contesting from the Greater Kailash constituency, denied that he had violated the code of conduct saying that while filing his papers, he went to the returning officer���s office in his car with his wife and Delhi BJP chief Harsh Vardhan and there was no other car with them.

The Election Commission had issued a notice to him on November 10 for ���violation of standing instructions regarding the maximum number of vehicles permitted within periphery of 100 metres of returning officer and persons inside the chamber while filing nomination papers���. Mr Malhotra had filed his nomination papers at the returning office in the Jamnagar House on the Shahjahan Road on November 8.

According to Mr Virender Sachdeva, Mr Malhotra���s media coordinator, the EC has not sought any further explanation or mentioned any action. Meanwhile, Mr Malhotra said he stood by what he had said in his reply to the EC notice. ���I stand by what I had said in my reply. That is the exact position. I don���t know who all were there when I filed my nomination. It is for the police to find out,��� he said.

The Election Commission has said that the maximum number of vehicles allowed to come within the periphery of 100 metres of the returning officer���s chamber is three. The maximum number of persons allowed in at the time of filing nomination is the candidate plus four other individuals.