2014 poll loser writes to EC, seeks disqualification of minister Girish Mahajan from assembly for hiding land details,

MUMBAI:NCP leader Digambar Keshav Patil from Jalgaon has knocked on the doors of the Commission, saying water resources minister Girish Mahajan should be disqualified as a member of the legislative assembly for his failure to disclose details of his property to the poll panel. Patil is likely to file an election petition against Mahajan for violation of the Representation of People Act.
Patil lost the 2014 assembly polls from Jamner to Mahajan, who has represented the seat since 1995. Mahajan polled 1.03 lakh votes while Patil managed 67,730.
In his letter to the EC, Patil submitted that despite Mahajan owning five acres of land in Manpur village of Jamner since 2002, he did not disclose it before the Jalgaon collector, who was the returning officer.
“As per the provisions of the Representation of People Act, it is binding on all contesting candidates to disclose movable and immovable property before the returning officer. In fact, they have to submit the information on oath. In case of Mahajan, it was found that he failed to submit information on ownership of land,” Patil said in his three-page complaint to the EC and Jalgaon Collector.
Patil said that since Mahajan is an influential politician and a cabinet member, the possibility of destroying crucial documents could not be ruled out and the Jalgaon police should immediately register an offence against him for violation of the Representation of People Act.
NCP spokesperson Nawab Malik demanded Mahajan’s dismissal from the cabinet for his alleged involvement in a land scam. “Prima facie, it appears that Mahajan has misled farmers. They were told that the land is being acquired for a cooperative sugar factory and they will be offered jobs. A decade and half later, neither the sugar factory has been set up nor have jobs given to farmers whose land was acquired,” Malik said.