BJP leader, 10 others in J&K debarred from contesting elections [details]

Outspoken BJP Javid Qureshi, who always remained in the news for his actions, is debarred from contesting any election till September 2023 for violating electoral rules.

"BJP leader Javid Qureshi and ten others from Jammu and Kashmir figure in the list of candidates who have been disqualified by the Election Commission of India (ECI) from contesting any election till September 2023", reports said.

These leaders have been debarred from contesting elections for not filing their statement of expenses during the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.

In an official communication to Chief Electoral Officers (CEOs) of all states and Union Territories, the Election Commission of India has barred Qureshi and ten others from contesting any election till September 2023.

These candidates had contested the 2019 Lok Sabha seat but had failed to lodge an account of election expenses within the time, attracting three—year disqualification from the poll—body.

Qureshi had contested the 2019 Lok Sabha election as an independent candidate from the Baramulla Lok Sabha segment and secured mere 3,383 votes from 15 assembly segments. He had secured mere 146 votes from his native area of Langate.

The other names in the list of disqualified candidates include Anil Singh, Balwan Singh, Sikander Ahmad Nourani (all from Jammu-Poonch Lok Sabha seat), Rakesh Mudgal, Firdous Ahmad Bawani, (from Udhampur-Doda Lok Sabha seat), Riyaz Ahmad Bhat, Shams Khawaja, Ali Muhammad Wani, Surinder Singh (all from Anantnag seat) and Mirza Sajad Hussain Beigh ( Srinagar seat).

All contesting candidates have to file an account of election expenses

Every contesting candidate at an election, shall within a prescribed date of declaration of the results, have to lodge with the officer as specified by the Election Commission, an account of election expenses which shall be a true copy of the complete report of expenses kept by him/her or by the election agent.

Suppose a candidate fails to lodge an account of election expenses within the prescribed time. In that case, the Election Commission will serve a show cause notice asking him why he/she should not be disqualified for this failure. On receipt of this notice, the candidate shall submit the accounts along with his explanation for the non-submission of accounts.

If the Election Commission is satisfied that a person has failed to lodge an account of election expenses within the time and in the manner required by or under these Acts, and has no good reason or justification for the failure, the Election Commission shall, by order declare him/her to be disqualified for contesting any elections for a specified period.