PAN mandatory for poll candidates

New Delhi: Candidates to be contesting the forthcoming Lok Sabha elections will have to reveal their total income shown in their Income Tax (I-T) returns of last five years, that of their spouse and dependents in the poll affidavit, according to the Election Commission of India

In the revised Form 26 notified by the poll panel, it will also be mandatory to furnish total income shown in the last five year I-T returns of the Hindu Undivided Family if the candidate to be contesting polls is a ‘karta’ or ‘coparcener.’

The poll candidates will also have to mandatorily furnish details of their assets in foreign countries and their Permanent Account Number (PAN). The disclosure of off-shore assets and PAN will not remain limited to the candidate, but also cover their spouse, members of the Hindu Undivided Family (if the candidate is a ‘karta’ or ‘coparcener’) and dependents.

In case any candidate does not have any PAN, he/ she will have to clearly mention in the Form 26 — ‘No Pan allotted,’ the poll panel made it clear in the revised poll affidavit.

The “off-shore assets” of the candidates to be revealed by the candidates in the revised poll affidavit (Form 26) would include details of all deposits or investments in foreign banks and any other body or institutions abroad, “all assets and liabilities.”

Earlier in the poll affidavit, a candidate had to only declare the last I-T return filed for the self, spouse and dependents. Details of foreign assets were not sought from the candidates joining the fray.

While the candidates were required to furnish their PAN along with that of their spouse and dependents in their poll affidavits earlier, too, but it was noticed that many had skipped this column as furnishing of PAN was not explicitly made mandatory in the Form 26. The changes brought in the Form 26 will be applicable to all elections to be conducted by the ECI.