The Madras High Court has flagged an over Rs 100 crore discrepancy in asset declarations by actor-turned-politician Vijay, directing the Income Tax Department to respond to a petition alleging suppression of facts.
Vijay, who is contesting from Chennai’s Perambur and Tiruchirappalli East constituencies in the upcoming Tamil Nadu Assembly elections, came under scrutiny after the court observed that such a wide variation in declared assets within a short span appeared ‘irregular’.
The issue stemmed from affidavits filed with his nomination papers in both constituencies. According to the petition, Vijay declared assets worth Rs 115 crore in Perambur, while listing assets of Rs 220 crore in Tiruchirappalli East — a stark difference of Rs 105 crore.
The petition was moved by Vignesh, a voter from Perambur’s Vyasarpadi area, who alleged that Vijay provided inconsistent information and concealed assets in his Perambur nomination. He argued that declaring significantly lower assets in one constituency compared to another amounts to suppression of material facts, and sought an investigation by both the Income Tax Department and the Election Commission of India.
A bench comprising Chief Justice SV Gangapurwala Dharmadhikari and Justice PD Audikesavalu Arulmurugan noted that such a discrepancy in affidavits filed days apart raised concerns. The court then asked the Income Tax Department to file its response and posted the matter for hearing next week.
The development came as a setback for Vijay and his party, Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK), which is contesting its first election in Tamil Nadu, currently ruled by Chief Minister MK Stalin-led Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK).
Vijay is making his electoral debut in what is shaping up as a three-way contest. In Tiruchirappalli East, he faces DMK’s Inigo S Irudayaraj, while in Perambur, he is up against sitting DMK MLA RD Sekar.
Tamil Nadu will vote in a single phase on April 23, with counting scheduled for May 4. The main contest is between the DMK-led Secular Progressive Alliance, which includes the Congress, DMDK and VCK, and the National Democratic Alliance led by AIADMK, with the BJP and PMK as allies. Vijay’s party, analysts believe, may emerge as a game changer in the upcoming polls.
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