India News | Punjab CEO Seeks Report on BJP Leader Bittu's Complaint over Non-issuance of No-due Certificate

Chandigarh, May 12 (PTI) The Punjab poll body on Sunday sought a report regarding a complaint by the BJP's Ravneet Singh Bittu that the Ludhiana municipal commissioner had flouted Election Commission guidelines by not issuing him a no-due certificate within the stipulated time.

Bittu on Saturday accused the AAP government in Punjab of sending him a rent arrear notice for his official residence to thwart his nomination process for the Lok Sabha elections.

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The three-time MP recently switched over to the BJP from the Congress. The saffron party has nominated him from Ludhiana, from where he had won the elections in 2014 and 2019.

According to an official statement, Punjab Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Sibin C has sought a report from the Local Government department's principal secretary on Bittu's complaint.

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The statement said Bittu submitted a complaint to the CEO regarding the non-issuance of the no-due certificate by Ludhiana's municipal commissioner within 48 hours of submitting an application, impeding his ability to participate in the elections.

The CEO has written to the department's principal secretary to conduct a swift inquiry and submit the findings so that the Election Commission can be apprised, the statement added.

Bittu was served a notice for the recovery of Rs 1.82 crore as rent for his official residence on Thursday. He was scheduled to file his nomination papers on Friday.

The BJP leader had claimed that he borrowed money from friends and relatives and mortgaged a portion of his ancestral land in Ludhiana's Payal to clear the dues.

After clearing the dues, Bittu got a no-due certificate and filed his nomination.

Bittu said he was issued the notice at midnight under a "planned conspiracy" to thwart his nomination process and put his "life at risk".

He also alleged that AAP and the Congress are "hand in glove" to stop his march to victory.

Bittu is the grandson of former chief minister Beant Singh, who was assassinated in 1995.

Punjab's 13 Lok Sabha seats will go to the polls on June 1.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)