With ₹278 crore net worth, AAP’s Sanjeev Arora is Punjab’s richest assembly candidate ever

According to the affidavit submitted by Arora, his movable assets alone are valued at ₹268 crore. These assets include ₹78,845 in cash, ₹2.71 crore in bank and financial deposits, and ₹254 crore invested in bonds, shares, mutual funds and other financial instruments.

Ahead of the upcoming Ludhiana West by-election, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) candidate and Rajya Sabha member Sanjeev Arora has declared ₹278 crore in net assets in his affidavit to the Election Commission. With the inclusion of his wife Sandhya Arora’s assets, the couple’s total net worth surpasses ₹301 crore, making Arora the wealthiest political figure in Punjab’s history to date.

AAP national convener Arvind Kejriwal, former Delhi CM Atishi Marlena, Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann and Punjab AAP president Aman Arora accompanying party candidate Sanjeev Arora for filing of nomination papers in Ludhiana on Friday. They took out a roadshow from Aarti Chowk and ended at Bhai Bala Chowk in the city. (Gurpreet Singh/HT)

According to the affidavit submitted by Arora, his movable assets alone are valued at ₹268 crore. These assets include ₹78,845 in cash, ₹2.71 crore in bank and financial deposits, and ₹254 crore invested in bonds, shares, mutual funds and other financial instruments. Additionally, Arora owns a Toyota Fortuner SUV, which is valued at ₹38.06 lakh. His immovable assets are worth ₹10.36 crore, while his declared liabilities stand at ₹19.43 crore.

With this declaration, Arora has overtaken Kulwant Singh, a prominent AAP leader and Mohali MLA, who previously held the title of the richest politician in the state. Singh had declared assets worth ₹238 crore in the 2022 Punjab assembly elections, which included ₹203.88 crore in movable assets and nearly ₹34 crore in immovable property, largely in Mohali and Ludhiana.

According to Arora’s affidavit filed during the Rajya Sabha elections, he owned assets worth over ₹460 crore and his liabilities were over ₹37 crore.

Other affluent political figures in Punjab include Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) chief Sukhbir Singh Badal and his wife Harsimrat Kaur Badal, both of whom declared assets worth ₹202.64 crore during the 2022 assembly elections. Their wealth is primarily derived from extensive agricultural landholdings and various business interests.

Prominent among other high-net-worth individuals in Punjab’s political scene are former Congress cabinet minister Rana Gurjeet Singh and his son Rana Inder Pratap Singh. While Gurjeet Singh’s wealth, which stood at ₹125.66 crore in the 2022 elections, has been closely linked to his business dealings, he remains one of the richest figures in the state’s political arena.

Asset watch

Total assets (including spouse): ₹301 crore

Movable assets: ₹268 crore

Immovable assets: ₹10.36 crore

Vehicle: Toyota Fortuner ₹38.06 lakh

Cash in hand: ₹78,845

Jewellery: ₹2.14 crore

Liabilities: ₹19.43 crore

Pending criminal cases: None