HC asks EC to decide on plaint regarding Rs 104 crore deposit by BSP

Lucknow, Jan 18 (IANS) The Lucknow bench of the Allahabad High Court on Wednesday directed the Election Commission to decide, within three months, a complaint with regard to the Rs 104 crore cash deposited in old currency by the BSP between December 2 to December 9 in its account in a Delhi bank branch after the demonetisation order.

The bench of Justice Amreshwar Pratap Sahi and Justice Sanjay Harkauli passed the order after hearing petitioner Pratap Chandra's counsel Nutan Thakur and Election Commission counsel Manish Mathur.

Thakur told the Court that the Election Commission had issued Guidelines for financial transparency on August 29, 2014, and further clarified through its order dated November 19, 2014, holding that political party must deposit its cash collections in its bank account within 10 working days of the fund collection.

These directions say that if any party violates these guidelines, action including cancelling its recognition can be taken under the provisions of Para 16A of the Election Symbols (Reservation and Allotment) Orders 1968.

Since the demonetisation order came on November 8 last year, hence as per these directions, the cash deposit in old currencies should necessarily have been undertaken by November 20 but BSP deposited Rs 104 crores between December 2 to 20, which is a clear violation of these Guidelines, the petitioner pleaded.

Mathur said that the Commission has received Pratap Chandra's complaint but it is presently busy with the state assembly elections, hence it requires some time to decide over the complaint.

The court then directed the Commission to decide the matter in three months, as it finally disposed of the petition.