Chennai, Apr 15 (PTI) The Madras High Court on Wednesday sought a report from the Income Tax Department on the alleged discrepancies in the poll affidavits filed by Tamil Nadu Deputy Chief Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin seeking re-election from Chepauk-Thiruvallikeni assembly constituency in Chennai.

A division bench of Justices S A Dharmadhikari and G Arul Murugan sought a status report from the Director General of Income Tax (Investigation), and the Ministry of Corporate Affairs, while hearing a plea from R Kumaravel of Chennai, seeking a probe into the assets declared by Udhayanidhi as a candidate in his election affidavit.

The bench posted the case to April 20 for further hearing.

The petitioner from Chepauk-Thiruvallikeni constituency, had alleged that there were discrepancies between the property details mentioned in the affidavit accompanying the nomination paper filed by the deputy chief minister in 2026 and the property details filed and the particulars mentioned in the affidavit for the 2021 polls.

A comparative analysis showed the "disappearance" of over Rs 7 crore in investments, Kumaravel claimed and sought a direction to the Election Commission of India and the returning officer for the constituency to verify the financial disclosures, sources of income, transactions and statutory filings made by Udhayanidhi.

Elections to the 234 Assembly constituencies spread across Tamil Nadu will be held on April 23. PTI COR JSP JSP ROH

Election affidavit disclosures and alleged asset discrepancies prompt scrutiny of financial declarations and related statutory filings. Election affidavit disclosures and alleged asset inconsistencies were placed before the Madras High Court in a petition seeking scrutiny of nomination papers and financial declarations filed by a candidate seeking re-election. The petitioner alleged discrepancies between the property particulars in the 2026 election affidavit and the earlier 2021 affidavit, including an asserted reduction in disclosed investments, and sought verification of financial disclosures, sources of income, transactions, and statutory filings.