AAP bouncer: Gambhir has 2 voter IDs, files complaint

AAP on Friday bowled another bouncer on Gautam Gambhir claiming that the cricketer-turned-BJP candidate's name figure in electoral rolls of two Assembly constituencies, a criminal offence that carries a one-year jail-term if proved.

AAP's East Delhi candidate Atishi filed the criminal complaint against her BJP rival in the constituency in Tiz Hazari court in the capital claiming that Gambhir possesses two voter IDs in Karol Bagh and Rajinder Nagar Assembly constituencies.

The top brass of the AAP ratcheted up the campaign against Gambhir with Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal leading from the front by tweeting, "voters shud not waste their vote on someone who will get disqualified soon".

Delhi BJP chief Manoj Tiwari said the AAP was raising this issue as it was "losing elections" and that documents of Gambhir were correct. "No one can stop him from fighting the election. We are for positive politics and will not be affected by their negative politics," Tiwari said.

Atishi took to Twitter as well as spoke to media, "my appeal to the citizens of East Delhi Lok Sabha, Please don't waste your vote by voting for Gautam Gambhir. He is going to get disqualified sooner or later for having two Voter ID cards!."

In his affidavit to the Returning Officer while filing his nomination, she claimed, Gambhir "concealed" the information that he was also registered to vote in Karol Bagh. This, she said, is punishable Representation of the People Act.

"Under Section 17, read with Section 31, false declaration in the matter of electoral rolls is punishable with jail time of up to one year. If this information had been revealed by us at the time of scrutiny, his nomination would have been cancelled. This is a disqualifiable offence that will lead to his disqualification sooner or later," she told reporters.

According to Section 17, no person is entitled to be enrolled as a voter in more than one constituency while Section 31 makes a false declaration in the matter of inclusion or exclusion of voter rolls punishable with up to one year in prison. Any such declarations made in order to obtain registration as a voter in two or more constituencies is a criminal offence punishable with imprisonment up to one year, or fine, or both.

Gambhir had mentioned that he is only registered to vote in Rajinder Nagar seat but it was discovered that he was also registered to vote in Karol Bagh seat, she said adding that this also attracts disqualification as he has concealed this information.

Earlier too, AAP had objected to accepting Gambhir's nomination citing discrepancies in the affidavit. However, AAP's complaint was rejected.