I-T headache for BRS Candidates

With the Income Tax department gearing up to intensify its election-related activity, political candidates are likely to confront more trouble in the coming days.

Usually, the candidates file their affidavits along with their nominations but the Election Commission does not have necessary machinery to check the veracity of the affidavits. 

Hence, it would ask the concerned departments to look into the affidavits and submit the reports. By the time these departments get back to the EC, several years roll by.

In the entire affidavit, it is the information relating to income and expenditure mentioned by the candidates which is vital. Hence, the IT department had decided to expedite its activity and come out with the reports within six months of receiving the affidavits, according to IT wing director general Sanjay Bahadur.

Not just this, the IT wing also finalised the calculations of some of the BRS candidates who contested the elections in 2018. Following this, as many as 28 BRS MLAs’ cases are being heard in the court. Four of the MLAs have even been declared ineligible to contest as legislators following which review petitions have been filed in the Supreme Court and they are pending. 

The IT wing has set up a special cell to examine the affidavits to be submitted by the BRS candidates for the upcoming elections. The IT officials will also examine and compare the affidavits filed last time,  with the fresh and latest ones. In case if there is wide gap between the income and expenditure, then the candidates would be asked to produce the necessary information for that and in case of failure, notices would be served. 

As many as 150 Group-I officers have been appointed to finalise the calculations submitted by the BRS candidates, said Bahadur. In addition, over 100 personnel from other investigative agencies have been deployed to lend a helping hand. 

In every constituency, at least 9 officers would work exclusively for the IT department. These officers would examine the inflow and outflow of money. They would also examine all other complaints received through other sources. 

A mechanism is already in place to ensure that the officials work round the clock and clear the affidavits.