UP MLA Umlesh Yadav the first 'Paid News' casualty

Lucknow Oct 21 (ANI): The Election Commission has disqualified a woman MLA from Uttar Pradesh for three years from contesting any election for Parliament, State Legislature, Assembly or Legislative Council for incorrect statement of election expenditure incurred on news items in two Hindi dailies. The three-member Commission headed by Chief Election Commissioner S Y Quraishi took the decision on a complaint filed by losing candidate Yogendra Kumar whose complaint with the Press Council was upheld and formed the basis for the Commission's action. Umlesh Yadav, an MLA belonging to Rashtriya Parivartan Dal, headed by politician D P Yadav, was disqualified under section 10A of the Representation of Peoples' Act 1951 for suppressing expenditure which was spent for issuing advertisement. This is the first case of action against a politician for 'Paid News' syndrome. It was alleged that the Yadav had not mentioned expenses made by her for publishing paid news items in two Hindi Dailies during Assembly elections in 2007. The Commission has said that instead of admitting her failure, she has denied to have filed an incorrect account and defended her act of having filed an incorrect account. (ANI)