Activist and AAP candidate Medha Patkar is in no tearing hurry. After an exhaustive campaign for herself and other party candidates across the country, a visibly relaxed Patkar systematically takes on her rivals for violating the model code of conduct.

Patkar has complained about both her opponents — the BJP’s Kirit Somaiya and the NCP’s Sanjay Dina Patil — to the Returning Officer (RO).

The two had printed and distributed voter slips printed with candidate pictures, party symbols and other messages, she said, sitting in the tree-lined compound of her mother’s apartment in suburban Mumbai. “We will follow this to the end,” said Patkar, ever the activist.

The RO of Mumbai North-East has directed Somaiya and Patil to include the actual expenses incurred on printing and distributing the cards under their total expenses.

Patkar further alleged that both candidates had spent well in excess of the ₹70 lakh each allowed by the Election Commission. She said Somaiya had put up eight huge hoardings across the constituency, each costing at least ₹5 lakh. The EC had asked parties to buy advertisement space for putting up hoardings and not use public spaces freely.

Somaiya, in his reply to the EC, tried to pass it off as party expenditure, which is not stipulated by the EC. The RO has, however, disagreed with Somaiya and others on the issue of voter slips.

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