The Election Commission of India has written to the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) seeking a verification of Union Minister and BJP’s Thiruvananthapuram Lok Sabha candidate Rajeev Chandrashekhar’s affidavit which states Rs 680 as his taxable income for the year 2021-2022, The Indian Express reported citing sources.
The development comes a day after the Congress submitted a complaint to the poll panel against Chandrasekhar accusing the I-T minister of allegedly providing false information about his financial status in his election affidavit filed during his nomination for the Lok Sabha elections this year.
The Congress said this was a violation of the Representation of the People Act 1951 and the Indian Penal Code. As per the IE report, the Commission has asked the CBDT to verify CHandrasekhar’s declarations as furnished in his affidavit.
Existing rules mandate candidates to submit details of their assets, liabilities and income in the form a self-sworn affidavit at the time of filing nominations for elections. Candidates are also required to furnish the same details about their spouse.
In his election affidavit filed this year, Chandrasekhar said that his total annual income shrank by nearly 100 per cent while that of his wife rose by over 500 per cent between 2016-17 and 2022-23. Between 2018 and 2024, the value of his moveable assets dropped by 66 per cent from Rs 27.98 crore to Rs 9.25 crore. In the same period, his liabilities rose from zero to Rs 19.41 crore.