Rajeev Chandrasekhar’s Election Commission to Probe Rs 680 Income in Affidavit After Congress Complaint.

Rajeev Chandrasekhar, the Union Minister for Electronics and Information Technology, came under scrutiny as the ruling Left Democratic Front in Kerala, led by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan’s Communist Party of India (Marxist), filed a complaint against him. The complaint was related to the alleged concealment of information in his nomination papers or affidavits, which is a violation of the Representation of the People Act, 1951.

According to the law, such violation could result in a six-month prison sentence and/or a fine. The controversy surrounding Mr. Chandrasekhar arose when it was revealed that his income for the fiscal year 2021/22 was reported as just Rs 680.

In contrast, for the fiscal years 2020 and 2023, he had declared incomes of Rs 17.5 lakh and Rs 5.50 lakh, respectively. Additionally, he disclosed total assets worth Rs 28 crore, which included various financial holdings, investments, and immovable assets.

These assets also comprised a vintage motorcycle, valued at an estimated Rs 3.25 crore, and a plot of non-agricultural land in Bengaluru, Karnataka, estimated at Rs 14.4 crore. The opposition further alleged that he had not disclosed other real estate properties, including those in Bengaluru.

The ruling LDF also claimed that Mr. Chandrasekhar failed to disclose his connection to a holding company called Jupiter Capital, despite being listed as its ‘founder’ on its website. They accused him of attempting to conceal his true assets through a complex network of companies.

However, the court stated that candidates have a right to privacy regarding matters deemed irrelevant to their public office candidacy.