AAP takes a dig at BJP candidate’s ‘massive income growth’

Verma, 47, is contesting the Delhi Assembly elections from the New Delhi constituency where he is challenging incumbent MLA and AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal.

Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader and Delhi’s health minister Saurabh Bharadwaj on Monday threw a satire at the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader and New Delhi candidate Parvesh Verma’s rise in annual income from 2018 to 2024, as per the affidavits filed with the election commission.

Saurabh Bharadwaj

Bharadwaj, at a press conference on Monday, cited the election commission’s data and said that annual income declared by Verma has increased by 11,488% from ₹17,00,000 per annum in 2018 to over ₹19 crore in 2024. “His moveable assets like cash, gold-silver, bonds etc have seen growth from ₹3.2 crore to ₹96 crore over this five-year period. What a fantastic growth. Big business houses should seek lessons from him. He should tell this art of this massive income growth to us and poor people of this country,” he quipped.

Responding to the claims, Verma said that the AAP is making these allegations out of fear of losing.

Further, Bhardwaj said that Verma’s overall assets have gone up from ₹15.5 crore to ₹115 crore -- a 645% increase. “Donal Trump should have called in to his oath taking. Verma has great talents,” the minister said taking a dig at the New Delhi candidate, adding that in the 2019 election affidavit Verma had declared an annual income of ₹19 lakh in the preceding year’s income tax return.

“This has gone up to ₹19.17 crore. Not even IIT-IIM graduates witness such massive asset growth. He should hold seminars for people of New Delhi on how to increase their annual income. Why is fighting these small elections. He should work on economy. We are jealous,” he added.

Verma, in a response, said, “The public in New Delhi has rejected Kejriwal. Wherever the Aam Aadmi Party leaders are going, they are facing opposition. This election is a battle between truth and lies, and lies are losing! They are making these baseless allegations as they can clearly see that they are losing the election from New Delhi. AAP is getting restless due to imminent defeat.”

Verma, 47, is contesting the Delhi Assembly elections from the New Delhi constituency where he is challenging incumbent MLA and AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal. Congress has fielded son of former CM Sheila Dikshit-- Sandeep Dikshit on the triangular contest. The seat has seen a bitterly contested campaign marred by several controversies, allegations of distribution of cash and inducements and more recently an alleged attack on Kejriwal’s convoy.

According to the affidavit filed as candidate from New Delhi, Verma is a businessman by profession and an MBA. His annual income as per income tax returns in 2023-24 was ₹19.6 crore. His moveable assets are worth ₹77.89 crore while his wife’s moveable assets in this category are worth ₹17.53 crore. The value of immoveable assets to his name is ₹12.19 crore while ₹6.91 crore worth of assets belong to his wife. Verma also has liabilities worth ₹62.82 crore.