BJP candidate Poonam Mahajan is wilful defaulter: Congress

The Congress Saturday alleged that BJP candidate for Mumbai North Central Lok Sabha constituency, Poonam Mahajan is a "wilful defaulter" whose name features on a list that also includes fugitive businessmen Nirav Modi and Vijay Mallya.

Responding to the allegation, Mahajan, who is the sitting MP from the constituency, said the banks concerned have been repaid.

Speaking to reporters here, Maharashtra Congress spokesperson Sachin Sawant said that according to CIBIL, a credit information company, Mahajan's name features in the list of wilful defaulters list "which also includes people like Nirav Modi and Vijay Mallya who are now absconding".

"According to the definition laid down by the RBI, a wilful defaulter is one who does not pay money even when he is capable of repaying it. Poonam Mahajan was the guarantor in the company which has defaulted on a loan of Rs 11.40 crore. Besides, another company owned by her husband owes another bank Rs 56.25 crore," Sawant said.

He added that Mahajan, in her election affidavit, neither disclosed that she was a wilful defaulter nor that her husband owned Rs 67.65 crore to banks.

The Congress state general secretary further alleged that Mahajan was a director in both the firms of her husband until 2015, and that even in the 2014 elections, she had not disclosed it in her election affidavit.

Mahajan's office issued a statement saying, "As stated before, my husband's business failed and we have earnestly paid back all banks by selling all of mine and my family's personal assets including my house and jewellery. Due process has been followed while doing the same".

All seats in Mumbai region go to polls on April 29 in the fourth and final phase of elections in Maharashtra.

Mahajan, daughter of BJP leader late Pramod Mahajan, is pitted against Priya Dutt of Congress in Mumbai North Central.