Uttar Pradesh Congress Legislature Party (CLP) leader Pradeep Mathur was today served show-cause notice by the Election Commission on charges of “paid news”.
Mathur, who has filed his nomination from the Mathura Assembly constituency, has been show-caused for having a “paid news” item published in a regional newspaper, said Ravindra Kumar, Additional District Magistrate and in-charge of the Media Certification and Monitoring Committee.
Besides Mathur, the editor of the newspaper has also been served a notice.
Meanwhile, BJP candidate from the Mant Assembly seat S K Sharma has been booked for the violation of the model code of conduct.
Sharma has been booked for holding an election meeting without prior permission, an official said.
“Sharma has been booked under sections 123 and 124 of the Representation of the People Act and relevant sections of IPC as he addressed an election meeting at a public place (Tank crossing) falling under Sadar Bazar police station after filling his nomination on Saturday,” SDM and Returning Officer Mant Sadanand Gupta said.
He said the BJP candidate was given permission for using three vehicles, but he had used over three dozen buses to ferry his followers from his constituency.
“He has also violated the model code of conduct by distributing food packets among his supporters,” Gupta said.
Meanwhile, a sum of around Rs 8 lakh has been seized by different magistrates yesterday during checking of vehicles in different areas. “Three cartons of liquor and 147 bottles of wine were also recovered,” Kumar said.