Guwahati, April 6 The Congress filed a complaint with the Election Commission on Monday, demanding the cancellation of Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma's candidacy, arguing that he did not disclose his wife's alleged offshore assets in the poll affidavit.
The move by the opposition party came a day after it posed three questions to the Assam CM – whether his wife or family owns property in Dubai, has companies in Wyoming in the USA, or has placed their assets in shell companies. Sarma has denied the charge.
Polling for 126 Assembly seats in Assam is scheduled for April 9.
In the complaint to Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, filed by Sarma's opponent in the Jalukbari constituency, Bidisha Neog, the Congress also demanded an inquiry into "suppression of information" about the offshore assets.
"The said affidavit does not disclose any offshore or foreign assets despite explicit statutory instructions in Form 26... Documentary evidence from the Dubai Land Department establishes that Riniki Bhuyan Sharma, the spouse of the candidate, is the owner/beneficial holder of two valuable properties in Al Barsha South Fourth, Dubai, UAE," Neog alleged in her complaint.
She mentioned two properties allegedly owned by Sarma's wife and said the "deliberate non-disclosure" violates the mandatory requirements, and it renders the nomination liable to rejection.
"An immediate inquiry be conducted into the suppression of offshore assets, the nomination of Himanta Biswa Sarma be rejected in accordance with Section 36 of the Representation of the People Act, 1951, and appropriate proceedings under Section 125A be initiated," the Congress candidate demanded.
The Congress also filed a complaint with the Enforcement Directorate, urging it to register a case under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002, for allegedly operating undisclosed assets in Dubai and Wyoming in the US by the Assam chief minister's wife.
Congress Media and Publicity Chairman Pawan Khera on Sunday alleged that the Assam Chief Minister's wife has three passports of the UAE, Egypt and Antigua-Barbuda, two properties in Dubai and assets in shell companies in the US.
The Assam chief minister on Monday morning refuted the charges and claimed the opposition party had concocted the charge using false information from a Pakistani social media group.
Reacting to Sarma's denial, Assam Congress President Gaurav Gogoi challenged the BJP leader to deny the claims under oath on the Bhagavad Gita.