Channi, Congress candidate Moosewala booked for violating poll code

Punjab chief minister Charanjit Singh Channi and Congress candidate Shubhdeep Singh, popular as Sidhu Moosewala, were booked for violating the poll code in Mansa district on Friday, the last day of campaigning for Sunday's assembly elections.

Both were found campaigning after the canvassing deadline of 6pm on Friday.

The case was registered under Section 188 (disobedience to order duly promulgated by public servant) of the Indian Penal Code at City-1 Mansa police station.

Channi reached Mansa on Friday evening for the door-to-door campaigning of Moosewala.

According to the first information report (FIR), Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) candidate from Mansa, Dr Vijay Singla, submitted a complaint to election observer CK Yadav stating that Congress leaders had violated the model code of conduct by canvassing after the culmination of the campaigning period.

After spot verification by the flying squad team (FST), the poll authorities found that Channi was not a voter of Mansa and he violated the poll code of campaigning in another constituency.

Moosewala was campaigning with more than 400 supporters that was beyond the permissible limit, read the FIR.

In another incident, a Congress candidate from Mansa's Sardulgarh Bikram Singh Mofar was booked on Friday for holding a roadshow without permission.

An FIR was registered against Mofar at Jhunir police station under Sections 188 and 171-F (undue influence or personation at an election) of the IPC.