Congress legislator barred from elections for three years over campaign expense violations

The Election Commission of India has barred J.M.H. Aassan Maulaana, a Congress legislator who won from Chennai's Velachery constituency in 2021, from contesting any election for three years beginning August 2026 after finding he understated his campaign expenses by more than ₹32 lakh.

Expenditure ceiling breached

The disqualification prevents Maulaana from seeking membership of Parliament or any state Legislative Assembly or Legislative Council during the period, according to the Commission's order. The poll body ruled that he failed to submit a true and correct account of his election expenses within the prescribed time and manner under the Representation of the People Act, 1951.

Maulaana had declared total election expenses of ₹17,03,548 to the District Election Officer, Chennai, on May 24, 2021, within the deadline. But the Commission found that advertisements published by the Tamil Nadu Congress Committee in 10 newspapers, which the Returning Officer flagged in a notice dated March 30, 2021, were intended to promote his election.

Party claim rejected

Though Maulaana informed the Commission on March 31, 2021, that the state Congress unit had borne the advertisement costs independently, the District Election Officer in his scrutiny report of June 19, 2021, rejected the account. The DEO determined an understatement of ₹32,05,915 related to the advertisements.

Adding the understated sum to the declared expenditure brought Maulaana's total spending to ₹49,09,463, the Commission said, well above the ₹30.80 lakh ceiling set under Rule 90 of the Conduct of Election Rules, 1961. Maulaana contested the 2026 Assembly election from Velachery but finished third.

Source: The Hindu