Cong accuses Rajeev Chandrasekhar of ‘Non-Disclosure’ of asset in nomination

New Delhi: Ahead of the Assembly elections in Kerala, Congress alleged that Rajeev Chandrasekhar, the state president of the Bharatiya Janata Party and a former Union minister of state, had concealed details about his assets.

The allegation followed a complaint submitted to the Election Commission of India by Congress leader K. S. Sabarinadhan, who is contesting against Chandrasekhar from Nemom. After reviewing the matter, the poll body went on to accept Chandrasekhar’s nomination.

On Monday (March 23), the Congress’s Kerala unit shared a document on X, purportedly from the Bengaluru South revenue department, which it claimed was a property tax receipt linked to Chandrasekhar.

The document allegedly pertained to a 49,000-square-foot residence in Koramangala, a prominent residential area in Bengaluru. The party contended that this property had not been disclosed in his election affidavit.

According to the details cited by the Congress, the receipt indicated that over Rs 5 lakh in property tax had been paid for the Koramangala property on March 17, 2026.

“This is a 1.07-acre property in one of the most expensive locations in the country, where many Indian billionaires live. Land here costs around ₹35,000 to ₹50,000 per sq.ft or more. By a fair estimate, the land value alone could be around ₹200 crore,” the Congress claimed, the Wire reported.

The party shared an application number for verification and stated, “The tax was paid just six days ago on 17th March, which you can verify yourself.”

Congress reiterated that Rajeev Chandrasekhar had used the same residential address in his 2024 affidavit, and described him as a “habitual offender”, calling for his disqualification.

According to Chandrasekhar’s affidavit, he declared one immovable asset—a non-agricultural land parcel located at “No. 419” in the third block of Koramangala in Bengaluru. The document stated that he purchased the property in 2006 for Rs 5.26 crore and estimated its current market value at around Rs 15.07 crore.

The affidavit section detailing his income sources for FY 2024–25, however, reportedly mentioned a different address—plot 408 in the same Koramangala block. Despite the Congress raising objections, the returning officer accepted Chandrasekhar’s nomination, stating that it did not meet the criteria for rejection under the Candidate’s Handbook 2023, as cited by The Hindu.

In response, the Bharatiya Janata Party’s Kerala unit dismissed the allegations as fabricated, claiming that Congress-affiliated groups were spreading false information about Chandrasekhar owning and concealing a residence in Koramangala. The party also suggested that the opposition was reviving similar claims made during the Lok Sabha elections due to anxiety over a possible defeat.

Chandrasekhar himself denied the accusations, stating that similar allegations had been raised earlier regarding his income tax and property, and asserting that all his affairs had been conducted transparently.

Meanwhile, in its response to the BJP, the Congress indicated on X, “If our claim is fabricated, then the property tax receipt we shared must be fake.”

Congress reiterated that the same property had been declared by Rajeev Chandrasekhar in his 2024 affidavit, and urged the BJP to verify the details independently.

The party questioned the apparent inconsistency, pointing out that Chandrasekhar had stated he resided at House No. 408 while also declaring that he did not own any residential property. It suggested that this raised doubts about whether he was living in a large residence owned by someone else with the same name or whether the affidavit contained false information.

It further alleged that plot number 419 was merely a car shed and accused him of failing to disclose properties numbered 408 and 445.

Congress leader K. S. Sabarinadhan said that the party and the United Democratic Front would pursue legal action in the coming days. He claimed that there was a strong case, alleging that Chandrasekhar had deliberately suppressed details about a property for which he had paid substantial property tax.

He added that although Chandrasekhar’s legal team had described the omission as an error, the returning officer and election observer lacked the authority under the current legal framework to disqualify him on that basis. As a result, he said the party would move forward with an election petition. He made these remarks while speaking to reporters in Thiruvananthapuram.

Meanwhile, on the same day, the Kerala Police was reported to have asked social media platform X to remove certain posts related to a letter issued by the Election Commission of India to political parties. The police reportedly said that the posts, which carried the BJP Kerala unit’s seal, were insulting to the poll body and could undermine communal harmony.

The Assembly elections in Kerala are scheduled to be held in a single phase on April 9, with the counting of votes set for May 4.