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| Spot the richest in fray | | Haul of millionaires as leaders declare their assets | | ZAFAR CHOUDHARY
Jammu, Nov 26:
• Omar Abdullah: Over Rs 347 lakhs, including a factory in HP. Bathindi House not listed
• Muzaffar Hussain Baig: Over Rs 1300 lakhs, including land and house
• Maulana Iftikhar Ansari: Over Rs 2200 lakhs; Highland empire not listed
• Radhey Shyam Sharma: Rs 512 lakhs, including hotels and factories. Owns a fleet of 11 cars.
• Ghulam Mohiuddin Sofi: Rs 400 lakhs, mostly land holdings in Handwara
• Shabnam Lone: 224 lakhs, including a house in Faridabad; owns three cars
• Nawang Rigzin Jora: Over Rs 300 lakhs including a hotel in Leh worth Rs 240 lakhs
It is difficult to estimate who is wealthiest among all them but the ongoing assembly elections have a visible majority of millionaires in contest, while some of them are close to billions in their property statement.
It appears that the most powerful and oldest political family of Jammu and Kashmir, the Sheikh family has its assets divided separately among the members as the pristine Bungalow in Bathindi has not been covered in the assets of Omar Abdullah who claims ownership of a house at Gupkar Road, Srinagar.
A look at the statement of assets and liabilities of the political bigwigs contesting assembly elections reveals that they prefer investments in bonds, debentures, company shares, FDRs and real estate instead of keeping the liquid money. Former Deputy Chief Minister and senior Peoples Democratic Party leader Muzaffar Hussain Baig appears to be an art lover. In his Srinagar Bungalow worth Rs 300 lakhs he has put furniture and paintings valuing as high as Rs 100 lakhs.
National Conference President Omar Abdullah has a cumulative wealth of around Rs 347 lakhs which also includes a factory in Himachal Pradesh worth Rs 90 lakhs and a flat in Delhi worth Rs 168 lakhs. Most of his deposits are jointly with wife Payal Abdullah. Bathindi House of the Abdullahs has not been included in this statement which suggests that its ownership must be with father Dr Farooq Abdullah.
Leading business tycoon of the state and senior Peoples Democratic Party leader Maulana Iftikhar Hussain Anasari claims that he has cumulative wealth of 2238 lakhs. His establishments including Highland Motors, both at Jammu and Srinagar, the Highland towers at Jammu and other business concerns have not been shown as Ansari’s personal ownership concerns. Most of Ansari’s wealth includes bank deposits and land holdings in Kashmir.
A senior leader of Congress, Taj Mohiuddin has shown bank deposits in his own and wife’s name to the tune of Rs 109 lakhs. He has given an elaborate account of houses and land holdings in Kathua, Jammu, Srinagar and Baramulla including orchards but evaluation has not been done.
Peoples Democratic Party leader and former Deputy Chief Minister Muzaffar Hussain Baig has bank deposits of Rs 158 lakh in own name and Rs 45,000 in the name of his wife. He own four vehicles in his own name –a Contessa car, Honda City car and a Scorpio and a Commander jeep. Baig’s agricultural land is worth Rs 900 lakhs and non-agricultural land has been valued at Rs 20 lakhs. He has a house built at Brain, Srinagar worth Rs 300 lakhs which has furniture, fixture and painting etc worth Rs 100 lakhs.
National Conference candidate from Nowshera constituency Radhey Shyam Sharma perhaps richest among all and he is also the one who own a largest fleet of cars. Radhey has 11 vehicles registered in his own name including two Ambassador Cars, a CRV Honda and an Innova. His bank accounts and properties are spread over at least four states. His cumulative wealth including land holdings, hotels and buildings has been valued at Rs 512 lakhs. Out of 40 candidates who have declared their assets and liabilities so far, Radhey Shyam Sharma come at number three after Iftikhar Hussain Ansari and Muzaffar Hussain Baig.
Former minister and Independent candidate from Handwara Sofi Ghulam Mohiuddin has assets worth over Rs 400 lakhs, mostly comprising agricultural and non-agricultural land.
Former power minister and Congress candidate from Leh Segment Nawang Rigzin Jora is another 'crorepati' in the list of candidates whose affidavits have been displayed on the Election Commission website.
Jora owns a hotel worth Rs 240 lakhs and a flat worth Rs 50 Lakh at Rajinder Nagar in Delhi. He also has immovable properties valued at Rs15L.
Shabnum Gani Lone, daughter of slain Hurriyat Conference leader Abdul Gani Lone, who is contesting from Kupwara which goes to the polls in the third phase, is also a millionaire. Lone, a lawyer by profession, has declared total assets of Rs 224 lakh, including land worth Rs70 lakh, a house in the city and a flat in Faridabad worth Rs60 Lakh and Rs20 Lakh respectively, fixed deposit of Rs 56 Lakh and nearly Rs three lakh in savings. She owns three vehicles valued at Rs11 Lakhs.
Faqir Mohammad Khan, the Congress candidate from Gurez constituency, does not have any bank deposits like most of the contestants. However, his wife has a bank balance of Rs 200 lakhs and also owns land worth Rs 7.5 Lakhs. Khan's only possession is a plot of land worth Rs10 Lakhs. |
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