EC notice to Ajit son over cash

The Election Commission on Monday issued a showcause notice to Rashtriya Lok Dal general secretary Jayant Chaudhary for allegedly violating the model code of conduct.

The Election Commission on Monday issued a showcause notice to Rashtriya Lok Dal general secretary Jayant Chaudhary for allegedly violating the model code of conduct. Chaudhary,son of Union Civil Aviation Minister Ajit Singh,was on Sunday caught on camera receiving cash from a local leader during an election campaign at Mathura.

A sitting MP from Mathura,Chaudhary is contesting Assembly polls from Mant constituency in Mathura where polling will be held on February 28.

We have issued a showcause notice to Jayant Chaudhary and his party candidate from Govardhan,Thakur Meghshyam Singh,for violating the model code of conduct, said Ram Autar Raman,City Magistrate of Mathura. The respondents have been asked to submit a reply within 24 hours.

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Chaudhary has,however,denied the charges and instead,claimed that the notice has been served on flimsy grounds.

He has claimed that the cash in question was received as party fund and not for distribution amongst the voters.

We were not distributing cash among voters,which would have been a violation of the model code of conduct. It was a fund-raising activity as villagers collected money to be utilised in the activities of the party. We will furnish details of the amount received in the candidates account,which will be submitted to the EC, he said,adding that he was preparing a reply to the EC notice and also consulting lawyers to lodge a complaint with the EC alleging biased attitude of the local administration towards the RLD.