I-T Dept Sends Notices to 2017 Gujarat Poll Candidates, MLAs

74 candidates who had submitted their affidavits to the EC for contesting the 2017 polls have been served notices.

The Income Tax department has sent notices to over 70 candidates of the 2017 Gujarat Assembly election to explain "mismatch" in the income shown in their returns and what was mentioned in their poll affidavits, said officials here on Wednesday, 17 July.

Those who have been sent notices include some sitting MLAs.

A total of 74 candidates who had submitted their affidavits to the Election Commission for fighting the 2017 polls have been served notices, seeking explanation for discrepancies in income-related information provided by them, the officials said.

“We have with us poll affidavits of around 1,100 candidates who had submitted their poll affidavits to the EC for fighting the 2017 Assembly polls. In 74 cases, we found a mismatch in the income shown in their actual returns and what was mentioned in the affidavits. Thus, we have served them notices to explain these discrepancies.” 

Senior Official, I-T Department

These 74 people include sitting MLAs, some who lost the polls and some who had withdrawn their candidature ahead of voting, said the official. He, however, did not reveal the identity of sitting legislators who have been served notices.

Congress MLA from Bapunagar Himmatsinh Patel said, "Some of our MLAs have received notices and we will reply to them."

Congress MLA from Morbi Brijesh Merja said, "The I-T department has the right to send notice to anybody and we, MLAs, as responsible citizens have to give reply to those notices."