EC to resume hearing in Chavan, Koda poll expenses case

A bench, headed by Justice A K Patnaik, had earlier dismissed Chavan's plea challenging the Commission's jurisdiction to inquire into such issues.

The EC, post complaints made against the two political leaders, had initiated disqualification procedures against them under the Representation of the People Act.Both the leaders had challenged the EC's action as they denied any wrongdoing.

In Koda's case, the EC has asked him to appear for the hearing, either in person or through an authorised counsel, regarding a case against him for allegedly furnishing false election expenditure records after the 2009 polls. 

Koda was elected as an Independent MP from West Singhbum constituency in Jharkhand in 2009.
The EC had in October, 2010, issued a notice to him asking him why he should not be disqualified on the ground that he had shown the election expenses far less than the actual amount of nearly Rs 10 crore allegedly spent by him.  

The Commission had said it found that Koda had made an alleged expenditure of about Rs 10 crore during his election campaign against Rs 25 lakh as stipulated under the EC guidelines for parliamentary polls that time.