THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Alleging concealment of assets in the election affidavit submitted by BJP state president and NDA candidate from Nemom, Rajeev Chandrasekhar, the Congress has sought action from the Election Commission.
The Congress alleged that Chandrasekhar failed to disclose details of a 49,000 sq ft mansion located in Koramangala, Bengaluru.
The property, spread across around one and a half acres in one of the country’s most expensive localities, is estimated to be worth nearly ₹200 crore based on prevailing land rates of ₹35,000 to ₹50,000 per sq ft, the party claimed.
It also said that property tax for the land was paid on March 17 and shared a link on social media platform X, stating that the details could be verified by the public.
Despite the complaint, the Election Commission on Tuesday accepted the nomination of Rajeev Chandrasekhar.
Responding to the decision, UDF candidate and complainant K Sabarinathan said the Returning Officer, being a quasi judicial authority, does not have the mandate to act on such matters. He added that the issue would be pursued through legal channels.
According to the Congress, the same property had been declared in Chandrasekhar’s 2024 affidavit, and its omission this time allegedly amounts to an attempt to mislead the Election Commission. The party has demanded a probe and appropriate action.
As per the affidavit submitted along with his nomination papers recently, Chandrasekhar has declared total assets worth ₹93.88 crore.
These include a 9,600 sq ft house in Koramangala valued at ₹15.07 crore, jewellery worth ₹3.58 crore including 369.12 grams of gold and diamonds, and a 1942 model motorcycle valued at ₹10,000.
His financial assets include ₹35.83 crore invested in shares, debentures and bonds, ₹4.37 crore in bank fixed deposits, and ₹34.96 crore given as loans through institutions. He has ₹64,100 in cash and reported an annual income of ₹92.91 lakh in his latest income tax return.
His wife, Anju, has an annual income of ₹60.50 lakh and total assets worth ₹18.10 crore, including jewellery valued at ₹9.08 crore. She has ₹3.40 lakh in cash. The affidavit also lists liabilities of ₹107.39 crore for Chandrasekhar and ₹1.62 crore for his wife.
Meanwhile, a criminal case has been registered against Chandrasekhar in Ernakulam in connection with his social media response following the Kalamassery blast incident.