E-Paper
Assets details on EC site, leaders wary of tax raids
Election Commission has decided that details of applicants? assets ?which they?ve to furnish to the poll panel ? will be put on EC website by November 18.
Delhi’s politicians have got worries other than whether they will receive an election ticket or not. The Election Commission (EC) has decided that details of applicants’ assets — which they’ve to furnish to the poll panel — will be put on the EC website by November 18. Where, it can be reasonably expected, they will be seen by the taxman.
Aspirants fear that the Income Tax Department may, after November 18, probe into all their assets and financial dealings.
The job for I-T officials will be made easy as the candidates will have to give their Income Tax Permanent Account Number (PAN) and details about the income tax returns filed.
The candidates are required to submit five affidavits in all, including on their past crime records if any, educational qualifications, movable and immovable assets and financial status. Giving information about pending criminal cases will not pose much of a problem. Applicants for BJP tickets will only have to give a self-declaration. Congress ticket-seekers will have to provide a certificate from the local police.
But providing information about their assets like jewellery and their value is proving to be a headache. Many ticket aspirants were heard asking party office-bearers whether they could say that their in-laws gave them the jewellery or that it belongs to their daughters-in-law.
Another area of concern for ticket seekers is the details about property.
A section of the affidavit asks about the number of doors in their houses, their total area and current market value. “It is very difficult to state the exact value of a property,” grumbled a Congress leader.