LUCKNOW: Jaya Bachchan, who had a bitter experience during her last Rajya Sabha stint as her membership was declared illegal, could land in trouble again. Congress leader Madan Mohan Shukla, who had filed a petition challenging Jaya’s membership before the EC and the President during the previous regime of Mulayam Singh Yadav in the state, is contemplating to do the same again.
Jaya filed her nomination papers for the Rajya Sabha on the Samajwadi Party ticket on Saturday. Shukla is scrutinising the papers this time, too, and has made up his mind to file a case if anything is found incorrect or concealed. “I have sought details of her latest affidavit filed in the Vidhan Sabha on Saturday. In case, she had concealed anything, she will have to face an FIR. I will again go to the court and the President to cancel her papers,” said Shukla.
Jaya was earlier elected to the Rajya Sabha in 2004 as SP nominee and completed her term in 2010, during which she was found to be enjoying the office of profit while holding the post of the UP Film Development Board chairperson. She had abruptly resigned from the post of the UP Film Development Board chairperson to save her RS membership.
She had to lose her RS membership also as the details submitted by Shukla proved that she was enjoying the pay and perks of the UP Film Development Board chairperson. “The EC had also ordered to register an FIR against Jaya Bachchan for concealing facts from it,” said Shukla while talking to the Express. Finally, she was again nominated by the party and re-elected and remained RS member till 2010 and did not go with Amar Singh, who was later dismissed by Mulayam Singh Yadav from the party.
Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav personally accompanied Jaya Bachchan to file her nomination paper on Saturday. Mulayam’s keenness to revive the association with Amitabh Bachchan was evident as the name of senior SP leader Arvind Kumar Singh was reportedly replaced with Jaya Bachchan in its candidates’ list.
A section of party leaders had opposed Jaya’s name as she had declined to campaign for the party in the recent Assembly elections and stayed away from the party activities. As is disclosed by her in the affidavit, the movable and immovable property of the Bachchan couple accounts for over `500 crore.
Jaya Bachchan has movable assets to the tune of `43 crore and immovable property of over `48 crore, while her husband has movable property of over `300 crore and immovable property of over `101 crore. Amitabh has over `96 crore in the bank accounts.
Jaya has ornaments worth `13.34 crore and Amitabh has ornaments to the tune of `26.23 crore. The couple has huge agricultural and non-agricultural land apart from palatial bungalows in their names.