New Delhi: Delhi Election Commission has issued show cause notices to three prominent leaders in the poll fray from East Delhi constituency in connection with cases of "suspected" paid news. Sitting MP and Congress candidate Sandeep Dikhsit, AAP candidate Rajmohan Gandhi and BJP nominee Maheish Girri have been served show cause notices for suspected paid news and violation of Model Code of Conduct, according to Delhi Election commission.
Diskhit was served the show causes notices on March 23 and 25 for the news reports promoting him and highlighting how he has changed the face of East Delhi. Gandhi was served the notices on March 23 and 24 by the Returning Officer of East Delhi Parliamentary Constituency, Niharika Rai, for news reports promoting him.
The notices, dated March 21 and 25, were served to Girri in connection with the news reports published in leading Englsih dailies giving his message through his guru asking his followers to vote for him. The Returning Officer asked the candidates to explain why action should not be taken against them for violation of Model Code and why the expenditure should not be added to their poll expenses.
Intensifying the vigil on paid news in the run up to the upcoming elections, the Election Commission has clarified that poll campaign-related news appearing in newspapers and channels owned by political parties will fall under the purview of paid news, if found to praise a particular candidate and projected that candidate as the winner.
A total of 54 cases of paid news were detected by the Election Commission during the Assembly polls in Delhi in December last year.
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