NEW DELHI: The Bharatiya Janata Party’s Amit Malviya on Monday questioned the acceptance of Priyanka Gandhi Vadra’s nomination affidavit by the poll body for Wayanad bypolls alleging that she did not disclose her complete assets information.
Questioning the Election Commission, Amit Malviya on X said, “Despite the inconsistencies and non disclosure of Priyanka Vadra’s investment and FIR in the Associated Journal Limited (holding company publishing scam tainted National Herald), if the papers have been accepted, then we need to ask who is holding the elections? The ECI or the concerned DM, who has interpreted the submission, as convenient.”
“If information in public domain is not mentioned and the nomination paper is still accepted, then what is the purpose of scrutiny?” he added.
Earlier, the BJP had claimed that Priyanka failed to fully disclose information about her and her husband Robert Vadra’s assets in the affidavit submitted for the Lok Sabha bypoll in Wayanad. BJP national spokesperson Gaurav Bhatia had asserted that her actions violate the Supreme Court’s mandate for poll candidates to provide complete details of their own assets, as well as those of their spouse and dependents.
Bhatia highlighted the alleged acquisition of National Herald assets by the Gandhi family, pointing out that Priyanka Gandhi’s affidavit failed to disclose her ownership of shares in Associated Journals through various trusts. He also claimed that while the affidavit mentioned three of Vadra’s firms, it omitted his stakes in two other companies, constituting a non-disclosure of essential information.
In her nomination paper, Priyanka has declared assets worth over Rs 12 crore and a total income of over Rs 46.39 lakh in the financial year 2023-2024 which includes rental income and interest from banks and other investments.
Giving details of her assets and liabilities in the affidavit filed along with her nomination papers, Priyanka said she has movable assets of over Rs 4.24 crore that include deposits of varying amounts in three bank accounts, investments in mutual funds, PPF, a Honda CRV car gifted by her husband Robert Vadra, and over 4,400 grams (gross) of gold worth Rs 1.15 crore.
Her immovable assets are worth over Rs 7.74 crore, which includes two inherited half shares of agricultural land in Mehrauli area of New Delhi and a half share in a farmhouse building located therein, all of which together are now worth over Rs 2.10 crore.
Besides that, she has a self-acquired residential property in Shimla in Himachal Pradesh, which is presently worth over Rs 5.63 crore, according to her affidavit.
In her affidavit, Priyanka has also given details of her husband’s movable and immovable assets.
Robert Vadra has movable assets worth over Rs 37.9 crore and immovable assets worth over Rs 27.64 crore, according to the affidavit.
Priyanka, who has a Post Graduate Diploma in Buddhist Studies through distance learning from University of Sunderland, UK and a BA Hons degree in Psychology from Delhi University, has liabilities of Rs 15.75 lakh.
She is also facing Income Tax reassessment proceedings for the assessment year 2012-13, as per which she has to pay over Rs 15 lakh as taxes, her affidavit said.
Additionally, there are two FIRs and a forest department’s notice against her, the affidavit stated.