Congress ready to put extra burden on candidates in Punjab

New Delhi, Feb 9 (UNI) The Congress today said it would distribute the expenditure relating to the visit of party leaders for campaign in the forthcoming Punjab assembly election, if it was asked to do so by the Election Commission, proportionately among the candidates.

AICC spokesman Abhishek Manu Singhvi told mediapersons the party had explained to the Election Commission the delay in submitting the names of its forty senior leaders who would canvass for its candidates in the run up to the February 13 elections in the state.

In fact, the party had delivered the list of the leaders on January 25, but endorsement could not be procured the same day because of the closure of the office as part of the security preparations ahead of the Republic day celebrations the next day.

However, the endorsement was received on January 27 with the previous day being a national holiday.

In this context, he said the Election Commission might condone the lapse in the light of the explanation. ''If the EC does not condone the lapse, the party will distribute the expenditure proportionately among the candidates.'' Deputy Election Commissioner R Bhattacharjee said here yesterday that the Congress Party did not submit the names of its forty senior members who would be visiting Punjab for canvassing for their candidates. As a result the cost of bringing the leaders the campaign will now be borne by the candidates.

Under the relevant rules of the People's Representation Act, all political parties should submit the list of its party leaders campaigning for the candidates within the stipulated time. In such a case, the expenditure on such a visit would be borne by the party and the candidates.

In this case, the date stipulated by the EC for this purpose was January 25.

UNI