Inaccuracies in TMC MP Mahua Moitra Poll Affidavit: Complaint sent to EC alleging she didn’t mention her investments

A complaint has been sent to the Election Commission (EC), alleging that Trinamool Congress MP Mahua Moitra, in her 2019 Lok Sabha election affidavit, didn’t mention her investments in a financial advisory company. Also, her post-election expenditure report to the poll panel had allegedly incomplete information, reported ‘By the Indian Express’ on May 21.

The complaint, addressed to Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar, was filed by Shravan Kumar Yadav, who describes himself as a public-spirited person in the letter sent to CEC. According to the report, the complaint has been received but not reviewed yet.

As per report, the complaint alleged that Mahua Moitra, who is Member of Parliament from Krishnanagar in West Bengal, didn’t not mentioned her 4,900 shares in a company — Villerville Financial Advisors Ltd. — in 2019 election affidavit. In the column for “Details of investment in bonds, debentures, shares, units in companies/mutual funds”, Mahua Moitra had declared nil, which the complainant said, was in contradiction with the company’s annual returns filed between 2010 to 2022.

“The said wilful non-disclosure of her (Mahua) investments in the election affidavit is a material illegality, which needs to be inquired into,” the complaint stated as per report.

It alleged that Mahua Moitra’s post-election expenditure report declared a total expenditure of Rs 55.59 lakh, with Rs 99,800 from own source, Rs 23 lakh from donations and Rs 20 lakh from party funds. “There is no breakup of the remaining funds amounting to Rs 11,59,545 in the affidavit filed…” it alleged.

Citing Section 10A of the Representation of the People Act, which enables EC to disqualify a person for failure to lodge election expenses in a require time, the complaint said that submitting false election expenditures may result in issuance of notice by the EC.

The complaint was sent by post on April 25. Complainant Yadav told that he had received the information through RTI replies. Importantly he denied his any affiliation with any political party, reported Express.