The Income Tax department is intensifying its election-related activities, causing potential trouble for political candidates. Typically, candidates file their affidavits with their nominations, but the Election Commission lacks the means to verify their accuracy, leading to delays as other departments investigate. However, the IT department is now committed to expediting this process and producing reports within six months of receiving the affidavits, as stated by IT wing director general Sanjay Bahadur.
The crux of these affidavits lies in the income and expenditure details provided by candidates. The IT wing is not only focusing on forthcoming elections but has also completed calculations for some 2018 election candidates. Currently, 28 BRS MLAs’ cases are under court scrutiny, with four already declared ineligible to contest. Review petitions are pending in the Supreme Court.
To address these issues, the IT wing has established a dedicated cell to assess affidavits from BRS candidates in upcoming elections. IT officials will scrutinize and compare past and current affidavits. If significant discrepancies exist between income and expenditure, candidates will be required to provide explanations, with notices issued in case of non-compliance.
The IT department has assigned 150 Group-I officers to finalize calculations for BRS candidates, and more than 100 personnel from investigative agencies are aiding in this effort. In each constituency, at least nine officers are exclusively dedicated to the IT department, meticulously examining financial flows and addressing complaints from various sources. A mechanism is in place to ensure round-the-clock work to expedite the processing of affidavits.