New Delhi, Jan 13 Aam Aadmi Party candidate from Patparganj constituency Avadh Ojha on Monday got a lifeline from the Election Commission (EC) which assured speedy transfer of his vote from Greater Noida to Delhi to help him file nomination papers before the January 17 deadline.
Addressing the media after meeting EC officials, AAP National Convener Arvind Kejriwal said the EC has assured that the delay in Ojha's application will be condoned, paving the way for him to file his nomination smoothly.
Kejriwal thanked the EC for meeting them on short notice and said the AAP delegation also raised the demand for suspending the District Election Officer of New Delhi constituency for his failure to check Model Code of Conduct violations on the seat.
“The BJP candidate from New Delhi is distributing shoes, jackets, bed sheets and spectacles and the election office has failed to stop this malpractice,” alleged Kejriwal.
He said when the AAP team raised the issue before EC officials they referred to a report by the District Election Officer (DEO) which said that there was no illegal activity in the constituency.
Kejriwal, flanked by Chief Minister Atishi, Punjab CM Bhagwant Singh Mann, MPs Sanjay Singh and Raghav Chadha and Ojha, told media persons that they also raised before the EC the issue of alleged manipulation of voters’ list in the New Delhi seat.
“The EC has assured us that no fake vote will be allowed to be made,” said Kejriwal.
Earlier, while approaching EC for seeking help for Ojha the former chief minister had alleged a conspiracy in the Delhi election office to render Ojha ineligible to contest the February 5 Delhi Assembly elections.
Citing the ECI manual and guidelines, Kejriwal said the election panel's rules said that the election office can consider a late application for shifting of vote as a “special case”.
The AAP has given the Patparganj ticket to Ojha replacing former Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia, who is contesting the election from Jangpura.
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