RS polls: BJP leader objects to Sonia's 'incomplete disclosure' of immovable assets

Jaipur (Rajasthan) [India], February 16 : BJP leader Yogendra Singh Tanwar, the agent of the party's Rajya Sabha candidate Chunnilal Garasiya, wrote to the Returning Officer, Election of Council of States (Rajya Sabha), objecting to what he claimed as an incomplete disclosure of immovable assets in Form 26 filed by Congress leader Sonia Gandhi.
Earlier, on Wednesday, the chairperson of the Congress Parliamentary Party filed her nomination for the Rajya Sabha elections from Rajasthan.
"I am writing to address a significant concern regarding the incomplete and concealment of details of immovable assets in Form 26 filed by Congress leader Sonia Gandhi. In Para 7 B of the aforementioned Form 26, under the section detailing immovable assets, Senia Gandhi mentioned the ownership of a share in the inherited property in Italy. However, crucial details such as the specific location of the property, whether it is situated in Rome, Florence, Milan, Trento, or any other city, have been united. Additionally, pertinent information regarding the percentage share in the feathered property, whether it is 25% or more, has not been disclosed Instead, Column ( has been stated as "Not Applicable," thereby raising questions of transparency in the disclosure of information of concealment and a lack of transparency" read the letter by Tanwar.
"The failure to provide specific details regarding the aforementioned property, including its location and the percentage shore owned, rames concerns of a deliberate attempt to cover up pertinent information that should be made available to the public. All relevant details must port in immovable assets, including location. share percentage, survey manner, area, and approximate current value, are explicitly mentioned to ensure transparency and integrity in the process," she added in her letter.
"In light of the incomplete disclosure and concealment of crucial details regarding innovative assets in Form 26, it is my strong recommendation that the nomination of Sonia Gandhi be rejected unless the necessary formation is provided in full as required. Failure to rectify prompted disclosing assets may cause me to question the values and integrity of the election process, and it is essential to uphold the principles of transparency and accountability in this matter of public interest." the letter read further.
The national president of the Congress president for almost 22 years, between 1998 and 2022, and a five-time Lok Sabha MP from Rae Bareli in Uttar Pradesh, Sonia revealed that she wouldn't seek a fresh term from the seat this time.
In a heartfelt open letter to the people of Rae Bareli on Thursday, Sonia cited her advancing age and health issues as the reasons for opting out of the Lok Sabha fray this year.
The process of filing nominations for the Upper House is currently underway ahead of the Lok Sabha polls that are likely to be held sometime between April and May this year.
Of the 10 Rajya Sabha seats from Rajasthan, 3 are up for grabs in the biennial polls to the Upper House this year. The ruling BJP is set to get two of the seats while the Congress will get one on the basis of their respective strengths in the Assembly.
The ruling BJP named the party's state vice-president and former minister Chunnilal Garasiya and former Sumerpur MLA Madan Rathore as its candidates for the Upper House.
Storming back to the helm on the back of a landslide mandate in the Assembly elections last year, the BJP has 115 MLAs in the House to the Congress's 70. A minimum of 67 votes will be required to win a Rajya Sabha seat in the event of a contest.
Former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, who was last elected to the Rajya Sabha from Rajasthan, is retiring in April this year. The term of Environment Minister Bhupendra Yadav is also coming to an end this April. Another seat in the Upper House from the state fell vacant after the resignation of the BJP's Kirodi Lal Meena.
The Congress, earlier, announced the first list of candidates for the Rajya Sabha elections across states.
The last day for filing nomination papers is February 15. The members of the Rajya Sabha are picked for a term of six years and elections are held every two years for 33 per cent of the seats.
Currently, the Rajya Sabha has a strength of 245 members.
Of the 245 members in the Upper House, 233 are representatives of states and Union territories of Delhi, Puducherry Jammu and Kashmir and 12 are nominated by the President. The nominated members happen to be distinguished persons in the fields of art, literature, sports, and science, among others.
Based on population, each state is allocated a certain number of candidates in the Upper House.
Members of the state legislative assemblies choose the Rajya Sabha members through a system of proportional representation by means of a single transferable vote.