Supriya Sule and Sunetra Pawar receive notices for discrepancies in poll expenses

Pune: The electoral race for the Baramati parliamentary constituency has taken a new turn as key contenders Supriya Sule and Sunetra Pawar have been served notices by the election department for discrepancies in their declared poll expenses.

Following an assessment of poll expenses from April 24 to 28, notices were issued revealing a notable disparity in the expenditure details submitted by Sunetra Pawar, wife of Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, amounting to Rs 9.10 lakh. Similarly, a discrepancy of approximately Rs 1.03 lakh was identified in the case of Supriya Sule.

Both candidates have been given until Saturday afternoon to respond to the notices. Failure to do so will result in the election department incorporating the differential amount into their poll expenses. An official clarified that non-response from the candidates would be construed as acceptance of the discrepancies outlined by the expenditure monitoring cell.

The notices, issued by Baramati Returning Officer Kavita Dwivedi, require a response within 48 hours. The final assessment by the expenditure monitoring cell is slated for May 6, one day before the poll date.

Pune Collector Suhas Diwase emphasized the standard procedure of issuing notices when expenditure observers identify discrepancies. Candidates have the option to appeal before the district expenditure monitoring committee if they contest the notices.

“Candidates are expected to provide their response or present their case before the committee, which comprises expenditure observers, the district election officer, collector, and nodal officer of the expenditure cell,” Diwase explained. 

He further elaborated on the process, highlighting that candidates are required to submit their poll expenses thrice during the campaign period, with costs compared against rates announced by the expenditure monitoring cell in each district.