Chavan denies ‘paid news’ allegations
Maharashtra chief minister Ashok Chavan has rejected allegations that he was involved in the “paid news” scandal.
Rejecting the contention of the complainant Kirit Somaiya (BJP) that he paid money to newspapers for writing favourably about him, Mr Chavan has questioned the authority of the Election Commission in entertaining the complaint. He has even quoted several Supreme Court judgments to back his case.
The Maharashtra chief minister has claimed that the newspapers may have published favourable stories about him in the run-up to the Assembly elections last October and that he had role to play in it.
Mr Chavan is being represented by noted lawyer Abhishek Manu Singhvi through whom the Mr Chavan has submitted his argument to the full commission comprising the three commissioners Navin Chawla, S.M. Qureshi and V.S. Sampath.
When Mr Singhvi argued that the Election Commission did not have the authority to hear the case that was dismissed by the three election commissioners who went ahead with the hearing.
Mr Vikram Bannerjee is the counsel for BJP national secretary Kirit Somaiya, one of the complainants.
Another complainant is Mr Chavan’s independent opponent in the Bhokar Assembly poll, Mr Madhav Kinhalkar. He had earlier filed a petition in the high court challenging the election.
But now he has moved the Election Commission as well and presented his case. It is to be remembered that Mr Kinhalkar lost by a margin of one lakh votes.
The specific allegation against Mr Chavan is that he had spent several crores on advertising but has submitted in his affidavit to the Election Commission that he had incurred a meagre Rs 11, 000 as advertising expenses.
Further hearing on the matter will continue on July 20 in the Election Commission.
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