State Election Commission, Haryana on Saturday directed that all contesting candidates are required to maintain account of election expenditure and submit the same within 30 days from the date of declaration of the result of the election to the Deputy Commissioner or an officer authorised by the State Election Commission.
Those who fail to do so and defaulting candidate will be liable to be disqualifiedunder relevant laws for a period of five years.
The ruling BJP and Opposition Congress and Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) — will test political waters as they take on each other in the crucial elections to five municipal corporations on December 16 in the State. It would be for the first time that direct election to the post of Mayor would be held in five civic bodies namely Rohtak, Yamunanagar, Karnal, Panipat and Hisar in the State.
A spokesman of the State Election Commission said the Commission has announced schedule for general elections in 5 Municipal Corporations and 2 Municipal committees in Haryana. Polling in these Municipal Institutions would be held on December 16.
The general elections of seats of Mayor and Members of all wards of 5 Municipal Corporations, including Hisar, Rohtak, Yamuna Nagar, Panipat and Karnal and of 2 Municipal committees including Jakhal Mandi (Fatehabad) and Pundri (Kaithal) would be held on December 16.
The spokesman said for first time in Haryana, eligible electors of the Corporations would elect their Mayor direct through casting the votes whereas earlier Mayor was got elected by the elected members of the Corporation among themselves.
The Deputy Commissioner or an officer authorised by the State Election Commission will check account of election expenses and send a list of contesting candidates who have filed and not filed the election expenditure statement, to the Commission within a period of seven days from the completion of prescribed time limit of 30 days.
He said that the Commission has become more strict towards the candidates contesting the elections of Municipal Institutions in case they fail to maintain account of election expenditure and submit the same within prescribed time limit.
Commission has disqualified 531 such defaulting candidates of Municipal Corporations of Hisar, Rohtak, Yamuna Nagar, Panipat and Karnal to contest the elections this time.
The spokesman said that the expenditure limit for contesting the election of Mayor has been fixed up to Rs. 20 lakh whereas it is Rs. 5 lakh for the member of Municipal Corporation and Rs 2 lakh for the member of Municipal committee respectively.
All the contesting candidates are required to maintain account of election expenditure and submit the same within 30 days from the date of declaration of election result to the Deputy Commissioner or an officer authorised by the State Election Commission, failing which the defaulting candidate would be liable to be disqualified for a period of five years
He said 531 such defaulting candidates have been disqualified by the commission who failed to file their election expenditure statement during the last election held in the year 2013. It includes 113 of Municipal Corporations, Hisar, 128 of Municipal Corporations Karnal, 95 of Municipal Corporations Panipat, 100 of Municipal Corporations of Rohtak and 95 of Municipal Corporations Yamuna Nagar respectively.