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Lucknow News: Lucknow bench of Allahabad High Court has raised questions on the verification of asset declaration of election candidates and has sought a detailed reply from the Election Commission and CBDT. The court asked whether the property information of the candidates is verified and what action is taken if wrong information is given.
Lucknow. The Lucknow bench of the Allahabad High Court has raised serious questions on the existing system of verification of the declaration of assets (Form-26) given by the election candidates at the time of nomination and has sought a detailed reply from the Election Commission of India and the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT).
Affidavit sought from Election Commission
The court has sought answers from the Election Commission along with affidavits on several points. The court has asked what is the system for verifying the property information given in Form-26 at the time of nomination? Has any candidate’s affidavit been found false till now? If yes, what action was taken? If a candidate knowingly gives wrong or incomplete information, what action is taken against him?
This claim was made in the petition
It has been claimed in the petition that the Income Tax Department verifies the assets of the candidates and sends its report to the Election Commission, but despite the clear instructions of the Supreme Court, this report is not made public to the public. The court told both the institutions, “We expect both the Election Commission and the CBDT to file an affidavit and suggest a concrete and effective mechanism. It would be even better if the senior officials of both hold a joint meeting among themselves and prepare a strong system.”
Next hearing in January 2026
The bench has scheduled the next hearing of the case for the third week of January 2026. The court made it clear that it wants to ensure transparency and accountability in the electoral process, so that voters can get correct information. Lok Prahari Secretary SN Shukla said outside the court, “This is a very old issue. Candidates hiding assets worth crores contest elections openly, but no action is taken. This intervention of the court is welcome.”
