Election Officials Approve Nominations of V.D. Satheesan and Rajeev Chandrasekhar

Thiruvananthapuram: The nomination papers of Leader of the Opposition V.D. Satheesan and BJP State President Rajeev Chandrasekhar—which had been withheld for further scrutiny following objections raised by their opponents—were approved by election officials on Tuesday.

The Returning Officer dismissed the LDF’s complaints against Satheesan, which alleged that he had underreported his income and concealed information; the officer stated that his explanation was satisfactory.
Just prior to the scrutiny, LDF candidate Tyson Master filed a complaint citing three specific points: that Satheesan’s income as a lawyer had not been accurately recorded, that details regarding traffic fines and dues incurred on his official vehicle were missing, and that the precise market value of the gold assets in his possession had not been disclosed.

The UDF dismissed these allegations as baseless and politically motivated. During the scrutiny proceedings held at 3:00 PM, Satheesan’s legal counsel presented the requisite documents and provided the necessary clarifications.
The nomination papers of BJP State President Rajeev Chandrasekhar for the Nemom Assembly constituency were also approved following a review.

The Returning Officer dismissed a complaint filed by the Congress party, which alleged that Chandrasekhar had failed to disclose details regarding a residential property in Bengaluru.

The complaint, filed jointly by UDF candidate K.S. Sabarinathan and the Congress party, alleged that Chandrasekhar had omitted details concerning a property located in Koramangala, which is reportedly valued at ₹200 crore.
They had also submitted property tax receipts as evidence, arguing that this specific asset had not been mentioned in his nomination papers.

During the hearing, the BJP’s legal counsel argued that the Returning Officer lacks the jurisdiction to adjudicate disputes pertaining to asset declarations, and that any such grievances should be pursued in a court of law subsequent to the elections.

Based on this argument presented by the BJP candidate, his nomination was accepted. BJP leaders emphatically asserted that there were no errors in Form 26, stating that any concerns regarding asset disclosures should be addressed legally in court.

Rajeev Chandrasekhar claimed that these allegations by the Congress and the CPM demonstrate their apprehension regarding the BJP’s growing popularity in this assembly constituency.