Controversy over election funding of Anto Antony rages

A day after admitting to receiving funds from the proprietor of the Nedumparambil Credit Syndicate (NCS), Pathanamthitta MP Anto Antony on Sunday found himself at the centre of a political storm over alleged opaque election funding.

The Communist Party of India (Marxist) [CPI(M)] has seized on the admission by the Congress MP to mount a direct challenge, preparing to move the Election Commission on the charge that Mr. Antony failed to disclose the receipt of campaign funds in his official expenditure statement.

Speaking to mediapersons here on Sunday, Health Minister Veena George, who lost to Mr. Antony in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, sharpened the attack by publicly questioning the scale and source of his campaign finances. “Did he actually spend ₹2 crore during the election? Did he disclose the receipt of this fund to the Election Commission and while submitting his annual income tax returns?” Ms. George asked.

‘Probe land deals’

K.P. Udayabhanu, a CPI(M) State committee member and the first to raise allegations of financial fraud against the Pathanamthitta MP, went a step further by demanding a detailed probe into alleged land transactions involving Mr. Antony in Bengaluru. He also wanted the Special Investigation Team probing the Sabarimala gold scandal to examine Mr. Antony’s financial transactions in Bengaluru.

The Enforcement Directorate, which is probing alleged money laundering by the non-banking financial company, too has included this aspect within the scope of its investigation.

Silent on amount

Mr. Antony, however, declined to respond to media queries on the controversy. Earlier, he had acknowledged receiving funds from N.M. Raju, the NCS proprietor, to finance his election campaign and claimed that the amount was repaid within two months. He, however, has refused to disclose the amount actually received from this source, fuelling speculation. Mr. Raju, on the other hand, has maintained that the MP received the money without any documentation and is yet to repay the amount.