LUCKNOW: Chaudhury Ajit Singh-led Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) on Saturday evening urged the Election Commission of India (ECI) to stop all advertisements featuring actor Hema Malini, who has been re-nominated as BJP candidate from Mathura Lok Sabha constituency.
In a letter addressed to UP’s Chief Electoral Officer L Venkateshwarlu, RLD spokesman Anil Dubey said: "The advertisements of a water purifying machine featuring actor Hema Malini are appearing in various media. This is a blatant violation of model code of conduct, as in the advertisement she appeals to the public to use the water purified by the said water purifying machine."
Dubey said, "Either the advertisement should be stopped on all media or the cost of the advertisements should be added to the election expenses of Hema Malini. However, UP CEO said that the decision on the complaint would be taken soon.
In 2014, RLD vice-president Jayant Chaudhury had challenged Hema Malini in Mathura but he lost it to the Bollywood actor who defeated him by a huge margin of over three lakh votes. RLD is part of SP-BSP alliance and it has been given three seats – Muzaffarnagar, Baghpat and Mathura – of western UP to contest in 2019 Lok Sabha elections.
As per the party list, while party chief Ajit Singh will contest from jat dominated Muzaffarnagar, his son and party vice-president Jayant Chaudhury will test the poll waters from his father’s traditional seat Baghpat. Meanwhile, the party has fielded Kunwar Narendra Singh from Mathura to challenge siting BJP MP Hema Malini who will be seeking re-election from land of Lord Krishna.