The thorny issue of over expenditure during poll processes by candidates has always remained a contentious topic. The Allahabad High Court has issued a notice to Prime Minister Narendra Modi after a petition was filed accusing him of electoral malpractices in the Lok Sabha election.

In his petition filed before the bench of Justice V.K. Shukla, the Congress leader Ajay Rai, who lost the Lok Sabha elections against Modi in Varanasi, has alleged that Modi had breached the Election Commission code by spending more than the prescribed limit during the election campaign.

On Friday the HC fixed the next hearing of the case for Sep 5.

Rai alleged that the PM had over-spent and the amount exceeded the Rs.70 lakh ceiling on polls expenses fixed by the Election Commission.

He has appealed the court to annul Modi's election from Varanasi on these grounds and also for leaving blank columns about his wife's income and taxation details.

He has also accused the prime minister of violation of model code of conduct by distributing poll memorabilia – clothes, T-shirts, and sarees to people in Varanasi with an intention to influence them.

Rai lost to Modi by a huge margin in the Lok Sabha election. He stood third, getting lesser votes compared to Aam Aadmi Party chief and former Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal, who lost by over 3.71 lakh votes to Modi.