Delhi CEO Raps AAP Over ‘Gambhir-Bidhuri Disqualification’ Tweets

The Delhi poll body has sought replies on how they can preempt the disqualification of Gambhir and Bidhuri.

BJP candidate from East Delhi Gautam Gambhir with Incumbent BJP MP Bidhuri.

(Photo: PTI/Altered by The Quint)

The Chief Electoral Office, Delhi, has sought replies from three top AAP leaders, including party chief Arvind Kejriwal, for their tweets asking voters 'not to waste their votes' by choosing BJP candidates Gautam Gambhir and Ramesh Bidhuri as they will be disqualified.

The other two leaders from whom replies have been sought are AAP's East Delhi candidate Atishi and its south Delhi candidate Raghav Chadha, officials said.

On 26 April, Atishi had posted on Twitter, "My appeal to the citizens of East Delhi Lok Sabha - pls don't waste your vote by voting for @GautamGambhir; he is going to get disqualified sooner or later for having two Voter ID cards!#GambhirApradh."

A day after that, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal had tweeted: "Charges against Ramesh Bidhuri are very serious. He is sure to be disqualified. South Delhi voters should not waste their vote on him."

The tweet was retweeted by Chadha.

The Delhi poll body has sought replies from them on how they can preempt the disqualification of Gambhir and Bidhuri, officials said.

Atishi has already moved the court against Gambhir alleging that he had enrolled twice as a voter in Rajender Nagar and Karol Bagh assembly segments in violation of the Representation of the People Act.

Gambhir is pitted against Atishi and Congress' Arvinder Singh Lovely for the East Delhi seat.

Chadha has moved the Delhi High Court alleging that the returning officer (RO) overlooked "glaring discrepancies in Bidhuri's nomination" and it was accepted without application of mind on the ground that they do not have any power to reject a nomination once an affidavit is filed, regardless of any concealment therein.

Incumbent BJP MP Bidhuri is locked in a triangular contest with AAP's Chadha and Congress' Vijender Singh for the south Delhi seat.

Meanwhile, AAP's west Delhi candidate Balbir Singh Jakhar was asked by the poll body to tender a reply in connection with allegations of him sending bulk SMSes to voters asking them to vote for him.

In his reply, Jakhar said he is a lawyer and the bar association or his well-wishers might have sent those messages. He said he was not in the know of those messages.

Delhi goes to polls in the sixth phase on 12 May.