BJP East Delhi candidate Gautam Gambhir is liable to be disqualified from his candidacy as he is registered to vote in two separate assembly constituencies in Delhi— Karol Bagh and Rajinder Nagar.
Under section 31 of the Representation of the People Act, 1951, anyone who is registered to vote at two locations has to declare both voter ID cards to the Election Commission and mention which one they intend to retain. Failure to do so is punishable with imprisonment of upto a year or fine, or both.
In Gambhir’s case, the matter is worsened by the fact that he filed his nomination papers on April 23 and in the affidavit, disclosed only that he ‘is enrolled in AC-39, Rajinder Nagar in PC-04, New Delhi… ’
Per section 125A of the RPA, a candidate who knowingly files a false affidavit for can be punished with upto six months in jail, or a fine, or both. Additionally, their candidature is also liable to be cancelled.
The EC website shows Gautam Gambhir (aged 37), son of Deepak Gambhir, registered at Karol Bagh and Rajinder Nagar.
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AAP East Delhi candidate Atishi brought the inconsistency to the fore in a press conference on April 26.
She wrote on Twitter that she has, “filed a criminal complaint against the BJP candidate from East Delhi Gautam Gambhir over his possession of two voter IDs in two separate constituencies…”
The former bureaucrat added, “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.”
Voting in Delhi will take place on May 12.