Acting on a complaint by the Congress, the Election Commission on Tuesday asked the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) to verify Thiruvananthapuram BJP candidate Union Minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar’s affidavit in which he declared `680 as his taxable income for 2021-2022. Chandrasekhar is in the fray against former UN diplomat and sitting Lok Sabha MP Shashi Tharoor in Kerala’s Thiruvananthapuram.
The poll watchdog also issued Congress leader Randeep Surjewala a show-cause notice for his alleged undignified remarks against actor-turned-politician and BJP MP Hema Malini.
The poll panel’s direction to the CBDT came after the Congress — which leads the Opposition United Democratic Front in the southern State — filed a complaint that claimed the Union Minister misrepresented information about assets and income streams. Kerala’s ruling Left Democratic Front — led by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan’s Communist Party of India (Marxist) also filed a complaint.
According to the sources, the commission has asked the CBDT to verify the declarations made by Chandrasekhar in his affidavit. As per the rules, candidates are required to submit details of their taxable income, assets, both movable and immovable, and liabilities. They are also required to share the same financial details of their spouse.
The law says candidates concealing information in nomination papers or affidavits - a violation of the Representation of the People Act, 1951 -could face a six-month prison sentence and/or get a fine or both.
Tharoor has declared assets of `55 crore.
Controversy over Chandrasekhar’s poll affidavit broke after it showed his income for FY 2021/22 was just Rs 680. For FY20 and FY23, however, he declared incomes of Rs 17.5 lakh and Rs 5.50 lakh.
Chandrasekhar also declared total assets worth Rs 28 crore; these included cash, bank deposits, holdings in non-banking financial companies and cooperative societies, as well as investments bonds, debentures, shares, units in companies/mutual funds, and other financial instruments.
His movable assets included a vintage motorcycle - a 1942 Red Indian Scout - and other items valued at an estimated Rs 3.25 crore. His sole declared immovable asset was a plot of non-agricultural land in Bengaluru in Karnataka worth an estimated Rs 14.4 crore.
The Opposition had also alleged that the Union Minister did not disclose other owned real estate, including property in Bengaluru.
In the matter of Surjewala, the EC has also sought a response from Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge on the steps taken to ensure strict compliance with its advisories on upholding the honour and dignity of women during public discourse by its leaders.
Both have been asked to submit their respective responses to the Election Commission. While Surjewala has been asked to respond by April 11 evening, Kharge has been given time till the following evening. Surjewala has said the undated video was edited and distorted and he never intended to insult or hurt the BJP MP.
