The BJP candidate from East Delhi constituency, Gautam Gambhir on Sunday, 28 April, reacted to AAP MP Atishi’s allegations of him holding two voter ID cards, saying, “When you don't have a vision and have done nothing in the last four and half years, you make such allegations. The Election Commission will decide this. When you have a vision you don't do such negative politics.”
"I have only one voter ID card from Rajender Nagar. I used to live with my maternal grandparents as a child at Ramjas Road (in Karolbagh), but I never voted from or applied for any voter identity card from there," he told PTI.
He added that there was a lot of difference between the BJP and other parties and that his party had the intention of taking up development and not practise negative politics.
Atishi, on Sunday, 28 April, replied to Gambhir’s comment, saying, "In 4.5 years, the AAP government built two new schools of excellence, two talent schools, two university campus, 25 mohalla clinics in East Delhi and 32 are under construction. Hundreds of new jobs. Tell your vision too."
"I told what we did in 5 years. Now it's your turn, let me tell you that: 1. What did your party MP @MaheishGirri do for East Delhi in 5 years? What did you do for East Delhi in five years which BJP gave you the ticket from here, " she asked.
On Thursday, 25 April, Atishi had filed a criminal complaint against Gambhir alleging that he possessed voter IDs from two constituencies, Karol Bagh and Rajinder Nagar.
He had also failed to disclose the same in his election affidavit to the Returning Officer while filing his nomination, Atishi alleged on Twitter.
The offences are punishable under Sections 17 and 31 of The Representation of the People Act, 1950 and Section 125A of The Representation of the People Act, 1951.
“(Gambhir) deliberately and illegally enrolled as voter in at least two separate constituencies, as well concealed the same fact and deliberately provided false information/statements/declaration in his nomination papers and accompanying affidavit,” the complaint filed before New Delhi’s Tiz Hazari court read.
“Even after obtaining and retaining voter registration in two constituencies, the accused has continued to provide false information and/or conceal information regarding the same,” the complaint added.
If found guilty under Section 17, read with Section 31, false declaration in the matter of electoral rolls is a punishable offence, with a jail time of up to one year.
The concealment of information provided in an election affidavit is also punishable under Section 125A of the Act, with up to six months jail time.
“If this information had been revealed by us at the time of scrutiny, his nomination would have been cancelled. This is a disqualifiable offence that will lead to his disqualification sooner or later,” Atishi said on Twitter.
Delhi's Tis Hazari Court will hear the matter on 1 May.
Delhi Chief Minister and AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal, meanwhile, took to Twitter to state that ‘voters should not waste their vote’ on Gambhir.
BJP Questions Kejriwal For Having ‘3 Voter IDs in 2013’
Delhi BJP president Manoj Tiwari asserted that the information furnished by Gambhir in his nomination papers was "true" and that AAP was "misleading" the media.
"There is nothing that endangers his candidature. The information furnished by him is true and nothing has been hidden," he said.
The BJP also sought an answer from Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal for allegedly having three voter identity cards in 2013.
“I had complained to the Election Commission against Kejriwal for having three voter IDs for Sahibabad (UP), and Seemapuri and Hanuman Road (both Delhi) before Delhi assembly elections in November 2013. Kejriwal should answer this first.”Harish Khurana, Delhi BJP spokesperson
(With inputs from PTI.)
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