EC takes up AAP complaint regarding Modi's marital status

Ahmedabad: The Chief Electoral Officer of Gujarat has forwarded an Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) member’s complaint seeking cancellation of BJP prime ministerial nominee Narendra Modi’s candidature from polls, to returning officers of Vadodara and Ahmedabad, for further action. The AAP complaint had sought cancellation of Modi’s candidature from 2012 assembly and 2014 Lok Sabha polls in connection with his marital status. “The letter (containing complaint) has been forwarded to Collector and District Election Officer, Vadodara and Ahmedabad for further appropriate action by the concerned returning officer,” Jaydeep Dwivedi, Joint Chief Electoral Officer of state, said in a letter to the complainant. [caption id=“attachment_1511313” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  Narendra Modi. Agencies.[/caption] When inquired about the AAP complaint, Dwivedi told PTI, “It is a routine process, we have forwarded it to the collector and returning officer of Vadodara and Ahmedabad and when we receive the reply then we shall decide about the future course of action.” The complaint was filed by a city-based Aam Aadmi Party worker Nishant Verma who had sought cancellation of the result of Mannagar assembly seat from where Modi won the election. AAP worker Nishant Verma who is the complainant received this letter yesterday, which he has forwarded to all reporters. The complaint was made by Verma on April 10, while the letter from the office of the Chief Electoral Officer of Gujarat was dated April 30. Verma had demanded disqualification of Narendra Modi from contesting the 2014 Lok Sabha poll, alleging that he had not mentioned his wife’s name earlier and hence he had lied on oath in his affidavit. The controversy over Modi’s marital status was triggered off after he filed nomination for the Vadodara Lok Sabha seat, stating for the first time that he is married to one Jashodaben. In an earlier assembly election, Modi had left the column meant to mention spouse, blank. In the 2012 state assembly election also, Modi had left the column specified for spouse as blank. PTI