Thiruvananthapuram: The total annual income of Rajeev Chandrasekhar, the BJP candidate in Thiruvananthapuram, shrank by nearly 100 per cent while his wife Anju Chandrasekhar's income swelled by over 500 per cent between 2016-17 and 2022-23, according to the affidavits submitted in 2018 and 2024 for Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha elections, respectively.
Between 2018 and 2024, the value of his moveable assets dropped by 66 per cent; dipping from Rs 27.98 crore to Rs 9.25 crore. In the same period, his liabilities soared from zero to Rs 19.41 crore.
Income tax returns details in the two affidavits show that while Chandrasekhar's income dipped from Rs 28 crore to Rs 5.5 lakh in seven financial years, his spouse's total income rose from Rs 21.44 lakh to Rs 1.32 crore. As per the sworn document filed in 2018, Chandrasekhar's gross total income (minus deductions) of Rs 28.27 crore mainly comprised salary from Jupiter Capital Pvt Ltd, rent income from a property in Koramangala, Bengaluru, the share of profit from business, salary as Rajya Sabha MP, constituency allowance, office expense allowance, daily allowance, dividend income, interest from tax-free bonds, from units of investment fund, interest from savings and fixed deposits in banks and income pertaining to minor children.
The document also shows a mismatch in the gross total value of his moveable assets. In the annexure showing details of movable assets, the gross total value is shown as Rs 9.25 crore. The abstract of the details shown in another annexure puts the value of moveable assets at Rs 13.69 crore; a difference of Rs 4.43 crore. However, the value of his wife's moveable assets (Rs 12.47 crore) remains the same across annexures.
The anomaly is not seen in his rival's affidavit. Incumbent Thiruvananthapuram MP and UDF candidate Shashi Tharoor has shown Rs 49.31 crore as the gross total value of his moveable assets, both in the abstract and in the annexure showing details.
Chandrasekhar's investment in bonds, shares, mutual funds and others also increased from Rs 15.45 crore to Rs 45.73 crore in six years (2018-24), a rise of 196 per cent. Even while his total income dipped drastically, his value of jewellery in possession (gold and diamonds) increased from Rs 1.96 crore to Rs 3.25 crore in the same period.
Both the LDF and the UDF have raised questions over the income and value of assets shown in Chandrasekhar's affidavit filed for the Lok Sabha elections.
Responding to allegations of misrepresentation in the affidavit, Chandrasekhar told Manorama News that all the disclosures have been given as per the law. Calling it false propaganda, he said that it was not the first time that the Congress has raised such allegations.
Avani Bansal, a Supreme Court advocate, has filed a complaint before the Election Commission of India and the District Election officer, Thiruvananthapuram, alleging that Chandrasekhar has filed a false affidavit for the Thiruvananthapuram Lok Sabha constituency election.
In her complaint, she cites that she had approached the Delhi High Court raising the same complaint of the false affidavit filed by Chandrasekhar in the 2018 Rajya Sabha election. In 2022, the ECI communicated to Bansal and Renjith Thomas, the two complainants, that the complaint was forwarded to the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) to ascertain the veracity of the allegations and take necessary action. Bansal posted on X, formerly Twitter, that the ECI referred the matter to CBDT after three years of follow up and no action was taken.
