Complaint against Rajya Sabha MP Anurag Sharma over concealing property details in affidavit

Shimla, Mar 9 (PTI) A complaint was filed against Rajya Sabha member Anurag Sharma, alleging concealment of property details and violation of election rules during the nomination process, officials said on Monday.

Congress candidate Anurag Sharma was elected to the lone Rajya Sabha seat from Himachal Pradesh on Monday.

The complaint was filed with the Election Commission, the Rajya Sabha Secretariat and the returning officer of the Himachal Pradesh Vidhan Sabha.

The five-page complaint, submitted by advocate Nitasha Katoch from Dharamshala on Monday, alleged that Sharma, a resident of Village Bir in Baijnath area of Kangra district, had not disclosed complete details of his assets, which is mandatory under Section 33 of the Representation of the People Act, 1951.

In his complaint, Katoch said that election laws require every candidate to disclose full details of movable and immovable assets belonging to themselves and their immediate family members when filing nomination papers. Any deliberate concealment of such information constitutes a violation of the law.

According to the representation, information available on the Election Commission of India portal indicates that several land properties allegedly owned by Sharma were not disclosed in the affidavit.

These properties allegedly include land located in the Baijnath and Multhan areas of Kangra district, as well as in the Jogindernagar area of Mandi district. The complaint also listed the specific land accounts and villages associated with these properties.

The complaint further alleged that apart from the land assets, details regarding a licensed firearm were also not properly reflected in the documents submitted during the nomination process.

A reference to Section 9A of the Representation of the People Act, 1951, which deals with disqualification arising from subsisting government contracts, was also made. It was alleged that at the time of filing nomination papers, Sharma was functioning as a government contractor and held Public Works Department contracts worth approximately Rs 16 crore in Kangra district, with some works reportedly still in progress.

Under Section 9A, a person may be disqualified from contesting elections if they have an active contract with the government for the execution of works, the complaint said, adding that if a candidate had ongoing government contracts, clarity regarding such contracts should have been established before issuing the certificate.

The complaint also raised concerns over the alleged issuance of a certificate by the Assembly secretary in undue haste, which, according to the complainant, raises serious questions about the process followed during the scrutiny of nomination papers.

The advocate urged the Election Commission, the Rajya Sabha Secretariat, and the concerned authorities to conduct a thorough and impartial inquiry into the matter and take appropriate legal action to ensure transparency and integrity in the electoral process. PTI BPL MPL MPL