Congress served notice after IT recovers Rs 8.5 lakh outside party office in Bihar

Just 5 days ahead of the first phase of assembly elections in Bihar, Income Tax Department raided Congress' office in Patna after one person was detained from outside the office compound and Rs 8.5 lakh was recovered. The Income Tax officials arrived at the office and served notice after money was recovered from a vehicle parked outside the office's compound.

As per reports, apart from Patna, on Thursday, the Central Board of Direct Taxation (CBDT) searched premises of two contractors who in Purnea, Katihar, Bhagalpur and Saharsa, after receiving input that "large scale unaccounted cash was being generated and used for various purposes."

Reacting on the notice served to Congress, party's Bihar in-charge Shaktisinh Gohil said, "They served notice after money was recovered from a vehicle outside the compound. No money recovered from within the compound. I want to ask that 22 kg gold, 2.5 kg silver was recovered from BJP candidate from Raxaul. Why is IT not going there?" He added, "I also want to ask when they serve notice to us, do they have the permission of Election Commission. They did not have an answer to this. From our side, we will cooperate with officials, even though we do not have any black money because the entire black money is with the BJP."

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Congress ally RJD, in a sharp reaction after the raid, said that the fear of defeat is compelling the BJP-JDU to stoop to such a level. "Income tax department has started raiding Opposition parties. Do you understand the meaning?? This is called accepting defeat, " RJD tweeted via their official Twitter page. 

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Bihar Elections 2020

Bihar Assembly Elections will be held in three phases - on October 28, November 3 and November 7 - and counting of votes will be held on November 10. Nitish Kumar is seeking reelection and is the CM face for the NDA. Mahagathbandhan has chosen Tejashwi Yadav as their CM face. The BJP is contesting on a seat-sharing formula of 121-122 seats with the JDU and Mukesh Sahni of Vikasheel Insaan party and Jitan Ram Manjhi of HAM(S) is contesting on BJP's share. Mahagathbandhan comprising of Congress and three left parties have are contesting on seat-sharing formula of 144-70-29 seats respectively. 

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