Jammu: Amidst the fervor of the ongoing electoral season, Jammu District Assembly Constituencies (ACs) witnessed first inspection of day-to-day expenses register of the contesting candidates by Expenditure Observers, Amaresh Kumar Tiwari, B.K. Vishnu Priya and Gayatri M, besides Nodal Officer for Expenditure Monitoring, Yasir Sharief.
All Assistant Expenditure Observers were also present during the inspection. Of the 109 candidates contesting for 11 Assembly Constituencies (ACs), only 61 candidates or their election agents were present for the first inspection.
The absence of the candidates was communicated to them through notices by the concerned Returning Officers.
In the course of inspection, the discrepancies were observed between day-to-day expenses register and the shadow observation register of 19 candidates. They same were communicated to the contesting candidates through notices by the concerned Returning Officers.
Candidates were asked to maintain accurate and detailed records of their campaign expenditures to uphold the integrity of democratic process.
Expenditure Observer, Amaresh Kumar Tiwari, B.K. Vishnu Priya and Gayatri M. echoed these sentiments, emphasizing the critical role of robust monitoring mechanisms in safeguarding the fairness and credibility of elections.
“Our primary objective is to ensure that electoral expenditures are conducted transparently and in accordance with established guidelines,” they remarked.
The communication of identified irregularities was conveyed to candidates, which serve as a call to action, urging them to rectify the discrepancies and adhere strictly to electoral expenditure regulations.