By IANS
Ahmedabad: Noted danseuse and independent candidate from Gandhinagar Lok Sabha seat in Gujarat Mallika Sarabhai Wednesday regretted that the Election Commission “does not have the teeth” to debar Varun Gandhi from contesting the polls despite his alleged “hate speeches”.
“I am horrified by the comments made by Varun Gandhi. He deserves the most stringent punishment by the highest court of law,” Sarabhai told reporters here.
On her decision to contest from Gandhinagar against Bharatiya Janata Party’s prime ministerial candidate L.K. Advani, Sarabhai said that prominent figures such as noted novelist Salman Rushdie, actor Irrfan Khan, and activist Asgar Ali Engineer have extended their support for her candidature.
“My biggest poll plank will be to fight on policies and their non-implementation in Gujarat. I believe that my candidature has to be a people’s campaign supported by students, who are first time voters, social activists, concerned citizens, prominent people in the society and legal luminaries.”
Sarabhai said her poll campaign will be financed by funds from the common people.
“The EC (Election Commission) has set a limit of Rs.25 lakh (Rs.2.5 million)for each candidate for poll expenses. I am asking people to donate funds for my candidature through my website. The name of each contributor would be put on the website and the entire accounting process will be transparent and accounted for,” she said.