Incomplete info: BJP challenges Priyanka’s Wayanad poll victory

The BJP has challenged the election of Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra from Kerala’s Wayanad Lok Sabha segment, alleging loopholes in her nomination papers which, the party said, hide more than they reveal.

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After top central leaders earlier alleged that Vadra had shared only very restricted information with regard to her assets in the nomination papers, BJP’s Navya Haridas has filed a formal petition challenging the Congress MP’s election in the Kerala High Court.

Navya had lost to Vadra by over five lakh votes in the November 13 bypoll after the seat was vacated by Rahul Gandhi who chose to retain Rae Bareli in Uttar Pradesh.

Haridas’ petition alleges that Vadra did not make a full and correct disclosure of family’s wealth and assets in the papers and shared “false information”.

“We have filed the election petition in the High Court here against Priyanka. It clearly says that the nomination papers she filed for the bypoll were misleading. Several important aspects stand hidden from the nomination papers, including the assets of Priyanka and her family,” Haridas said.

The BJP had earlier moved the Election Commission against Priyanka’s election with Haridas saying the party was not satisfied with the way things moved. The Congress termed the petition by BJP as a “cheap publicity stunt”.

Congress’ Rajya Sabha MP Pramod Tewari said he was confident the court would turn down the petition.

“The truth will side with us,” Congress Lok Sabha MP Manickam Tagore said.

The Kerala High Court is likely to take up the matter in January because the court would have a vacation between December 23 and January 5.

In her election affidavit, Vadra had stated her assets to be worth over Rs 12 crore. She declared an income of over Rs 46.39 lakh in the 2023-24 financial year.

She had disclosed her movable assets at over Rs 4.24 crore, including deposits in three banks, mutual fund investments, a Honda CRV and gold worth more than Rs 1.15 crore.

Vadra’s immovable assets as per the affidavit are over Rs 7.74 crore which included inherited tracts of agricultural land in Delhi’s Mehrauli and half share in a farmhouse built there.

Vadra said her self-acquired residential house in Shimla was valued at Rs 5.63 crore.

Against her husband Robert Vadra’s name, Priyanka mentioned movable assets of over Rs 37.9 crore and immovable assets of over Rs 27.64 crore.