<p>An Election Commission panel has held four Lok Sabha election candidates in Maharashtra guilty of resorting to paid news.<br /><br /></p>.<p>In all, 84 complaints of paid news were received by a committee specially set up to keep a watch on paid news.<br /><br />Complaints against Congress candidates - Union Minister of State for Shipping and IT Milind Deora (Mumbai South), Sanjay Nirupam (Mumbai North), Vishwajit Kadam (Pune) - and BJP candidate from Pune Deepak Shirole have been found true, sources in the State Election Office said.<br /><br />The candidates were found guilty by the district committee set up by the poll body to keep a watch on paid news and this decision (of finding four candidates guilty) has been upheld by the state committee of the election office, sources said.<br /><br />If the charge is established, the news items identified as paid news will be looked as advertisements and will be included in the election expenditure of the candidates, officials said.<br /><br />Election officials said 801 complaints of violations of model code of conduct were received. FIRs were filed in 75 per cent of the cases.<br /><br />Jatin Desai, member of the state committee, said the decision of the Pune district committee regarding Anil Shirole and Vishwajit Kadam was upheld by the state committee.<br /><br />"The candidates have an option to challenge the order of the state committee within 48 hours of the receipt of the order," he said.<br /><br />Deora and Nirupam challenged the order of the Mumbai district committee and the hearing was held before the state committee.<br /><br />"Deora's election agent and Nirupam's lawyer told the state committee that they don't want to pursue the matter," Desai said.<br /><br />Deora and Nirupam will have to pay as per DAVP rates for advertisement in newspapers and the amount will be added in their election expenditure, he added.</p>
<p>An Election Commission panel has held four Lok Sabha election candidates in Maharashtra guilty of resorting to paid news.<br /><br /></p>.<p>In all, 84 complaints of paid news were received by a committee specially set up to keep a watch on paid news.<br /><br />Complaints against Congress candidates - Union Minister of State for Shipping and IT Milind Deora (Mumbai South), Sanjay Nirupam (Mumbai North), Vishwajit Kadam (Pune) - and BJP candidate from Pune Deepak Shirole have been found true, sources in the State Election Office said.<br /><br />The candidates were found guilty by the district committee set up by the poll body to keep a watch on paid news and this decision (of finding four candidates guilty) has been upheld by the state committee of the election office, sources said.<br /><br />If the charge is established, the news items identified as paid news will be looked as advertisements and will be included in the election expenditure of the candidates, officials said.<br /><br />Election officials said 801 complaints of violations of model code of conduct were received. FIRs were filed in 75 per cent of the cases.<br /><br />Jatin Desai, member of the state committee, said the decision of the Pune district committee regarding Anil Shirole and Vishwajit Kadam was upheld by the state committee.<br /><br />"The candidates have an option to challenge the order of the state committee within 48 hours of the receipt of the order," he said.<br /><br />Deora and Nirupam challenged the order of the Mumbai district committee and the hearing was held before the state committee.<br /><br />"Deora's election agent and Nirupam's lawyer told the state committee that they don't want to pursue the matter," Desai said.<br /><br />Deora and Nirupam will have to pay as per DAVP rates for advertisement in newspapers and the amount will be added in their election expenditure, he added.</p>