Kerala: Congress To Move Court After Rajeev Chandrasekhar Nomination Cleared

The Returning Officer, despite the complaint made by Congress, has accepted the nomination made by the BJP leader Rajeev Chandrasekhar, as it does not violate any grounds for rejection as stated in the Candidate’s Handbook 2023, as said by Congress leader K.S. Sabarinadhan.

Sabarinadhan, the United Democratic Front (UDF) candidate from Nemom Assembly constituency in Kerala, on Tuesday lodged a complaint with the Election Commission of India (ECI) against Chandrasekhar, accusing him of failing to declare assets worth around ₹200 crore in his affidavit.

Chandrasekhar, a former Union Minister and BJP President in Kerala, is contesting from Nemom, which is a part of Thiruvananthapuram Lok Sabha constituency.

In his statement to Outlook, the Congress candidate claimed, "The returning officer has accepted my nomination, saying it does not violate any of the conditions for rejection of nomination, as per the Candidate Handbook 2023. However, he has furnished a false affidavit with a malafide intention and suppression of material information about his property."

He added that they would “immediately move a case in the concerned court”, and remarked that this was “just the tip of the iceberg”, expressing concern over what other details may have been concealed in a similar manner.

During the scrutiny proceedings, Sabarinadhan stated that he had filed his nomination the previous day, and that the verification process for the Kerala Assembly elections commenced at 11 am. He noted that significant concerns had emerged regarding Chandrasekhar’s asset disclosures. He added that he, along with the UDF and the Congress, is formally approaching the Election Commission and will present additional details supported by evidence.

Sabarinadhan said that the only party that has raised objections during the scrutiny process is the Congress, as no complaints were raised by the Left Democratic Front (LDF). The party had requested the Election Commission to reject Chandrasekhar’s nomination on this ground of discrepancy.

However, at the time of filing this story, Kerala education minister and current Nemom MLA V. Sivankutty posted on Facebook that it was mysterious and illegal for a person who had registered the same house as his residence in the last Lok Sabha elections to hide his assets now. “The LDF is filing a strong election case against this act, which is punishable under the Representation of the People Act,@ posted Sivankutty. They had not raised a complaint at the time of scrutiny.

The Kerala Congress unit had earlier alleged on its X (formerly Twitter) account that Chandrasekhar failed to disclose a 49,000 sq ft residence located in Koramangala 3rd Block, Bengaluru, in his affidavit. According to the party, the property spans approximately 1.07 acres in one of the country’s most expensive residential areas, where land prices range between ₹35,000 and ₹50,000 per sq ft. Based on this estimate, the land alone could be valued at around ₹200 crore. The party also shared a copy of the property tax receipt on social media as part of its claim.

The Congress further alleged that Chandrasekhar is a “habitual offender” who has repeatedly misled the Election Commission. It questioned the accuracy of his affidavit, which reportedly indicates that he owns no residential property or car despite being a billionaire businessman. The party has called on the authorities to disqualify him under the Representation of the People Act, warning that failure to act could raise concerns about institutional impartiality.

In its formal complaint to the Chief Electoral Officer, the Congress reiterated that a luxury bungalow in Koramangala Third Block, measuring approximately 49,000 sq ft, had not been disclosed. However, Chandrasekhar’s affidavit declares combined assets of ₹111.11 crore for himself and his wife, with ₹93.88 crore attributed to him and ₹18.10 crore to his spouse. The complaint also notes that the same property had been mentioned in his 2024 election affidavit.

The affidavit lists a house in Koramangala valued at ₹15.07 crore with a built-up area of 9,600 sq ft. It also details gold and diamond jewellery worth ₹3.58 crore, a vintage 1942 model car valued at ₹10,000, and ₹5 lakh in interest income.

Additionally, Chandrasekhar has investments worth ₹35.83 crore in shares, debentures, and bonds, along with fixed deposits totalling ₹4.37 crore. He has extended loans amounting to ₹34.96 crore through financial institutions and holds ₹64,100 in cash. His income tax returns indicate an annual income of ₹92.91 lakh.

His wife, Anju Chandrasekhar, has an annual income of ₹60.50 lakh and total assets valued at ₹18.10 crore, including jewellery worth ₹9.08 crore and ₹3.40 lakh in cash. The affidavit also records liabilities of ₹107.39 crore for Chandrasekhar and ₹1.62 crore for his wife, primarily in the form of loans.

According to the Congress complaint, Chandrasekhar deliberately concealed ownership of a residential property located at 408, 3rd Block, Koramangala. It further alleges that on 17 March 2026, just days before filing his nomination, he paid ₹5,02,805 in property tax for an undisclosed asset.

The complaint asserts that the omission was “wilful and deliberate, not accidental”. It also points out that Chandrasekhar had previously cited this property as his residential address in Form 26 submitted during the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, yet allegedly failed to fully disclose it at that time as well. The Congress argues that withholding such information in a statutory affidavit undermines the integrity of informed electoral participation.