ECI disqualifies Balram Naik from contesting polls

Former Congress MP and Union Minister of State P. Balram Naik has been disqualified by the Election Commission of India from being a Member of Parliament or Legislative Assembly and Council of any Sta

Former Congress MP and Union Minister of State P. Balram Naik has been disqualified by the Election Commission of India from being a Member of Parliament or Legislative Assembly and Council of any State for next three years for not filing his election expenses in 2019 Parliament elections. He was supposed to file the expenses by June 23, 2019, a month after the result of election to Mahabubabad Lok Sabha seat which he unsuccessfully contested on Congress ticket. But, not only did he not file the accounts, but also failed to respond to a show-cause notice served on him by the commission. He was given another 20 days to produce his expenses but he did not avail the opportunity, a gazette notification of the Chief Electoral Officer Shashank Goel said. So, the commission issued the disqualification order for a period of three years from tenth of this month. It effectively meant that he was not eligible to contest the next Parliament or Assembly elections in the State.