EC disqualifies Madhu Koda from contesting polls for 3 years for not properly filing election expenses

Election Commission on Wednesday disqualified former Jharkhand Chief Minister Madhu Koda from contesting polls for three years. The EC disqualified him for not properly filing election expenses.

He had won the polls from the Singhbhum Lok Sabha seat in Jharkhand.

An order issued by the Commission said that Koda “stands disqualified for three years” from today for “failing to lodge his account of election expenses in the manner required by the law  and for having no good reason or justification for such failure”.

The Commission order signed by Chief Election Commissioner A K Joti and Election Commissioner O P Rawat cited section 10 A of the Representation of the People Act to disqualify Koda.

The Commission had been hearing the case against Koda for allegedly furnishing false election expenditure records after the 2009 polls.

Madhu Koda was Chief Minister of Jharkhand from 2006 to 2008.

Earlier, Koda landed in controversy and was arrested by state police's vigilance wing on 30 Nov 2009 in connection Madhu Koda mining scam. Later, he was released on bail from Birsa Munda Prison in Ranchi.

A Special money-laundering court in Delhi had attached Koda's properties worth ₹ 144 crores in a disproportionate assets case against his alleged associates.             

With PTI inputs