NEW DELHI: BJP on Friday alleged that Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, contesting Lok Sabha bypoll from Wayanad in Kerala, has omitted key asset details in her election affidavit. Her investment in the Associated Journal Limited (AJL) is missing, the party claimed, referring to the National Herald money laundering case.
“Priyanka Vadra‘s affidavit conceals more than it reveals. One of the noted omissions from her affidavit is the investment in Associated Journal Limited (publishing National Herald newspaper). She has also conveniently excluded referring to the case against Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi in the same scam,” BJP IT department head Amit Malviya said on X.
Malviya also highlighted an Income Tax assessment order from 2022, which reported that Priyanka and Rahul had acquired additional shares in AJL through trusts, reportedly without compliance with the Companies Act.
“The Income Tax department’s assessment order of 2022 said: To fulfil the objective of acquiring 100 % shares of AJL, one of the majority shareholders of the assesee (Young India) Rahul, along with Priyanka Vadra, had purchased additional 47,513 and 2,62,411 shares through Rattan Deep Trust and Janhit Nidhi Trust, respectively, without complying with the Companies Act,” he said.
Priyanka’s affidavit lists assets worth approximately Rs 12 crore, including a 12,000 sq ft farmhouse near Shimla valued at Rs 5.64 crore and a Honda CRV valued at Rs 8 lakh. Additionally, her declared assets comprise mutual funds of Rs 2.2 crore, jewellery worth Rs 1.2 crore, and co-owned agricultural land in Mehrauli valued at Rs 2.1 crore with her brother, Rahul. Her husband, Robert Vadra, has declared movable assets worth over Rs 37.9 crore and immovable assets exceeding Rs 27.6 crore.