With ₹417 crore, Captain Abhimanyu is the richest candidate in Haryana
As per the affidavit, he has invested over ₹330 crore in bonds or shares with the companies or through mutual funds, but does not own a personal vehicle except a Chhattisgarh-registered commercial vehicle worth ₹30,000.
Former finance minister and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate from Narnaud of Hisar, Captain Abhimanyu leads the pack of stinking rich candidates who are in fray for October 5 Haryana assembly elections.
The 54-year-old Jat leader, a former army officer, who owns an empire of transportation businesses and is also the founder editor of a Hindi daily, has declared assets worth ₹417 crore (including spouse) in the affidavit before the Election Commission of India (ECI).
As per the affidavit, he has invested over ₹330 crore in bonds or shares with the companies or through mutual funds, but does not own a personal vehicle except a Chhattisgarh-registered commercial vehicle worth ₹30,000.
An analysis of the election affidavits reveals that the ruling BJP dominates the list of top 10 richest candidates, with three leaders, while the Congress has only one.
India’s richest woman, now a BJP rebel, Savitri Jindal is at the second spot in the list with assets worth ₹270 crore and is contesting as an Independent from Hisar seat.
Mother of BJP’s Kurukshetra MP Naveen Jindal, she is the chairperson of the steel and power giant, OP Jindal Group.
In the affidavit, she has declared gold, silver, stone and diamond jewellery worth over ₹40 crore, but does not own a vehicle.
On the other hand, INLD general secretary Abhay Chautala, who is contesting from Ellenabad, owns a fleet of personal vehicles worth ₹57 lakh, including two tractors and a Land Cruiser Prado.
Ambala mayor Shakti Rani Sharma, wife of former Union minister Venod Sharma, is the BJP nominee from Kalka this time and has declared assets worth ₹145 crore. Of this, she owns ₹101 crore worth of shares in hospitality industry along with her husband. The Sharma couple declared jewellery of ₹1.8 crore with Shakti Rani personally having gold worth ₹1.13 crore. Her younger son Kartik Sharma is a Rajya Sabha member from Haryana and a media mogul.
A businessman before he chose politics, Balraj Kundu is the sitting Independent MLA from Meham and is contesting from same seat under his newly floated front, Haryana Jan Sevak Party. His family runs a renowned real estate and construction company with all-India contracts.
Another member of the 100cr+ club, former industries minister Vipul Goel, who was denied ticket in 2019, owns residential and commercial buildings worth over ₹30 crore with his wife in Delhi-NCR.
Gopal Goyal and Gobind Goyal, the Kanda brothers from North-West belt of the state, have huge stakes in the real estate and airlines industry, owning several properties in Haryana and Delhi-NCR. Gopal had been a key player in forming the BJP government in 2019, but has managed to grow his business during every party’s regime.
Not part of the top 10 list, but former chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda has declared that he owns three arms worth ₹1.5 lakh among total assets of ₹32 crore.
The love for guns is not only limited to Hooda. INLD’s Dilbag Singh, contesting from Yamunanagar, also declared four arms including a double barrel gun, all worth ₹4.75 lakh, while Congress’ Karan Dalal, the candidate from Palwal also owns a revolver and a rifle.