Neog seeks cancellation of Sarma nomination over alleged asset non-disclosure

Guwahati: Congress’s Jalukbari constituency candidate Bidisha Neog on Monday moved the Election Commission, seeking cancellation of her BJP rival and Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma’s nomination, alleging that he failed to disclose his wife’s alleged offshore assets in his election affidavit.The complaint was filed a day after Congress raised questions over whether Sarma’s wife or family owned property in Dubai, held companies in Wyoming in the US, or parked assets through shell firms abroad, which have been dismissed by both the the chief minister and his wife as fabricated and fake.Polling for the 126-member Assam assembly is scheduled to be held on April 9.In a complaint addressed to Jalukbari election offucer, Neog, alleged “suppression of material information” and sought rejection of the chief minister’s nomination.

Neog also demanded a detailed inquiry into the alleged non-disclosure.“The affidavit submitted by the candidate does not disclose any offshore or foreign assets despite clear statutory requirements under Form 26,” the complaint stated.According to the complaint, the alleged “deliberate non-disclosure” amounted to a violation of mandatory disclosure norms and made the nomination liable for rejection under Section 36 of the Representation of the People Act, 1951. Neog also urged the EC to initiate proceedings under Section 125A of the Act, which deals with filing false or incomplete affidavits.Separately, Congress approached the Enforcement Directorate, urging it to register a case under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002.