The election commission has disqualified Madhya Pradesh minister Narottam Mishra from contesting any election for the next three years and his election from the Datia Assembly will also be considered void. Mishra has been charged for filing wrong information regarding the expenditure done during the Assembly Elections in 2008.
“MP Minister Narottam Mishra disqualified for three years by poll panel for paid news in elections. Big setback for BJP in MP,” All India Congress Committee (AICC) legal, human rights and RTI cell chairman and senior advocate Vivek Tankha tweeted.
MP Minister Narottam Mishra disqualified for 3 years by poll panel for paid news in elections. Big set back for BJP in MP.
— Vivek Tankha (@VTankha) June 24, 2017
Former MLA Rajendra Bharti had filed the FIR against Narottam Mishra in 2009, for practicing corruption during the 2008 Assembly polls. He said that Mishra had delibrtaely hidden the details of the expenditure done on election related advertisements. He did not show in his polls expenses report amount spent under the paid news section.
Rajendra Bharti had filed a complaint against Mishra under The Representation of People Act, 1951. He had contested election against Mishra from Datia in 2008 and 2013 and faced defeat both the times.
Aam Aadmi Party has also demanded for the resignation of MP minister.
Responding to this, BJP spokesman Deepak Vijaywargiya said that, the party is looking into the matter and will only comment after it has gone through the EC report and order.
Narottam Mishra started his political career when he was elected as the MLA in 1990. He was than re-elected in 1998 and 2003. He was included as the minister in the cabinet in 2005 under the rule of Babulal Gaur and countinued to remain in the cabinet even under the rule of Shivraj Singh Chaouhan.