E-Paper
MC polls in Haryana: Congress’ mayoral pick from Panchkula most educated, BJP’s wealthiest
According to the election affidavit uploaded on the state election commission’s website, she did her masters in political science from KU in 1981 and M.Ed from the same university in 1983
Congress’ mayoral face for Panchkula municipal corporation (MC) Sudha Bhardwaj, who holds dual masters degree from Kurukshetra University (KU), is the most literate nominees in the three MCs – Panchkula, Ambala and Sonepat – which will go to polls on May 10.
The 65-year-old Bhardwaj is the former state president of the Congress’ women’s wing and the wife of party media in-charge Sanjiv Bhardwaj.
According to the election affidavit uploaded on the state election commission’s website, she did her masters in political science from KU in 1981 and M.Ed from the same university in 1983.
Similarly, Independent candidate from Ambala, Sonia Rani, wife of former councillor Vijay Kumar alias Tony Chaudhary, completed her master’s degree in 2007 from Panjab University.
Anand Kumar, 61, the Indian National Lokdal Dal’s (INLD’s) mayoral candidate from Sonepat is a practicing advocate and pursued BA LLB from Ajmer University in Rajasthan.
In terms of assets, BJP’s Panchkula pick Sham Lal Bansal is the oldest yet wealthiest among the mayor candidates in the three MCs, while his 33-year-old counterpart from Ambala, Akshita Saini is the youngest.
Bansal, 72, earns income from agriculture and salary. He and his spouse own immovable assets valued at ₹57.9 crore, which include agricultural land in Panchkula and Ambala, along with non-agricultural land in Mohali and Gurugram.
According to her affidavit, INC’s Bhardwaj owns a .32-bore revolver and a DBBL 12-bore gun registered in her husband’s name. Another candidate for the seat, Manoj Aggarwal of the INLD, and his wife together own 18 kg of jewellery valued at ₹3.25 crore.
In Sonepat, nine candidates are in the fray, including six Independents.
Among them, Congress’ Kamal Dewan, owns total assets worth ₹35.74 crore. He owns agricultural lands in Maharashtra, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Goa, Uttar Pradesh and other properties in New Delhi, Uttar Pradesh and Haryana.
Dewan, 52, and his wife own six cars, including a Toyota Vellfire ( ₹1.60 crore) and a Mercedes GLS ( ₹1.25 crore), along with 1 kg of gold and 3 kg of silver. Dewan also has one criminal case against him under Sections 223(a) and 334(2) of the BNS, lodged in Sonepat last year.
Dewan’s BJP rival and former mayor, Rajiv Jain, owns total assets of ₹6.87 crore. Dewan is the husband of Haryana’s former minister, Kavita Jain; he also owns 200 gm of gold, 4 kg of silver, and two weapons valued at ₹1.10 lakh.
In Ambala, INC’s Kulwinder Kaur, 60, holds total assets worth ₹15.61 crore including immovable assets of ₹15.11 crore. A landlady by profession, she owns land at various places in Ambala district as well as in Dera Bassi in Mohali.
BJP’s Akshita Saini has completed Class 12 and has no immovable assets in her name. Her grandfather, the late Variyam Singh, contested elections twice from the Thanesar (Kurukshetra) seat on a Jan Sangh ticket.
