JAMMU : Election Commission has disqualified 48 contesting candidates of the previous elections, including former MP Trilok Singh Bajwa, from 12 Assembly constituencies from contesting elections to Lok Sabha in Jammu and Kashmir.
According to a communique issued by Avinash Kumar, Under Secretary, ECI, the politicians have been disqualified under Section 24 E of J&K Representation of the People Act-1957 for their failure to furnish details of expenditure incurred while contesting Parliamentary and Assembly polls on different occasions earlier.
While 36 such candidates belonged to Jammu region, including former Member of Parliament Bajwa, 12 belonged to Kashmir region.
The former MP of People’s Democratic Party, Bajwa, had also contested Assembly elections. Bajwa had been nominated to Rajya Sabha in November 2002, when PDP-Congress coalition was in power in the State.
While highest number of 10 contesting candidates, including Bajwa, were disqualified from Suchetgarh border Constituency in Jammu district, seven candidates were disqualified from Jammu West Constituency, followed by six from Hazratbal Constituency, four each from Akhnoor, Bishnah, Nagrota and Sonawar Constituencies.
Besides, others disqualified from Pattan, Inderwal, Gandhi Nagar, R S Pura and Chhamb Constituencies of the state.
While Maharashtra topped the list with 260 disqualified candidates, it is followed by Chhattisgarh with 259 candidates. They are followed by Haryana with 197 candidates, Odisha 188 and Madhya Pradesh 179. Uttar Pradesh has 159 candidates disqualified. Jharkhand has 118 candidates and Tamil Nadu 97. (AGENCIES)