ECI disqualifies former Velachery MLA Aassan Maulaana for 3 years

The Election Commission of India (ECI) has disqualified J.M.H. Aassan Maulaana, the former Congress MLA from Velachery, from contesting elections for three years starting August 2026. The order prevents him from seeking membership in Parliament, state legislative assemblies, or legislative councils.

The disqualification stems from his failure to file a true and correct account of election expenses under the Representation of the People Act, 1951. Maulaana had declared a total expenditure of ₹17,03,548 to the District Election Officer (DEO), Chennai, on May 24, 2021.

However, the Returning Officer had earlier issued a notice on March 30, 2021, questioning whether advertisements published by the Tamil Nadu Congress Committee (TNCC) in ten newspapers were meant to promote his campaign. Maulaana responded that the TNCC had borne these costs independently.

The DEO's scrutiny report, submitted on June 19, 2021, rejected this account, finding an understatement of ₹32,05,915 related to the advertisements. Adding this amount to the declared figure brings the total expenditure to ₹49,09,463, which exceeds the then-permissible ceiling of ₹30.80 lakh under Rule 90 of the Conduct of Election Rules, 1961.

Maulaana, who won the Velachery seat in the 2021 Assembly elections, contested again in the 2026 polls but finished third.