ECI bars former Velachery MLA Aassan Maulaana from contesting elections for three years
The EC’s order said, Mr. Maulaana failed to lodge a true and correct account of his election expenses within the time and in the manner required under the Representation of the People Act
On August 2026, the Election Commission of India (ECI) will prevent J.M.H. Aassan Maulaana, a former Velachery MLA, from contesting elections for a period of three years. Mr. Maulaana, who previously won the 2021 Assembly elections from Velachery constituency on a Congress ticket, violated election rules by not filing a true and correct account of his election expenses.
According to the ECI's order, the disqualification extends to contesting seats in the House of Parliament, Legislative Assembly, or Legislative Council of a state or union territory. Initially, Mr. Maulaana declared an expenditure of ₹17,03,548, but the Returning Officer raised concerns about advertisements published by the Tamil Nadu Congress Committee (TNCC) in 10 newspapers. Mr. Maulaana claimed the TNCC bore these expenses independently.
However, the DEO Chennai found that the account understated advertisement expenses by ₹32,05,915. Adding this to the declared expenditure of ₹17,03,548, the total expenditure rose to ₹49,09,463, surpassing the ₹30.80 lakh ceiling set under Rule 90 of the Conduct of Election Rules, 1961.
Despite running for the 2026 Assembly election from Velachery, Mr. Maulaana finished third. The ECI's decision comes after the Returning Officer issued a notice on March 30, 2021, questioning the advertisement expenses.
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