At annual income of Rs 49.30 lakh, Anurag richest MP in HP

Kuldeep Chauhan
Tribune News Service
Shimla, April 5

BJP MP from Hamirpur and a scion of the Dhumal family Anurag Singh Thakur (44) is the richest among four sitting MPs in the state.

According to a report by the Association of Democratic Reforms (ADR) and National Election Watch (NEW), the annual income of businessman-cum-social activist Anurag is more Rs 49.30 lakh while his assets are worth Rs 4.65 crore.

Anurag, son of former Chief Minister PK Dhumal, had also served as the BCCI president and the HPCA president. However, he was removed from the post by the Supreme Court in 2017 for not complying with its orders with regard to the implementation of the Lodha committee reforms.

Anurag is contesting from Hamirpur for the fourth time and has never suffered defeat in the elections so far. The next richest in line is veteran leader and Kangra MP Shanta Kumar (84). His annual income is Rs 18.60 lakh and possesses assets worth Rs 1.98 crore, says the report, a copy of which is available with The Tribune.

A two-time Chief Minister, Shanta Kumar is a writer, social worker and hotelier. He will not be contesting the Lok Sabha elections this time and BJP ticket from Kangra has been given to his confidant and Gaddi leader from Dharamsala Kishan Kapoor. He is also a Cabinet minister.

Dr OP Bhureta, state coordinator for the ADR and NEW, said the report had been formulated on the basis of affidavits submitted by the state MPs to the Election Commission of India in the 2014 Lok Sabha elections. The income, profession and educational details of each MP had been analysed in the report.

“Voters should know their MPs they have elected or are going to elect. They should be aware whether the leaders they are going to choose can protect their interests in Parliament,” said Dr Bhureta.

Shimla (reserved) MP Virender Kashyap (68) is the third richest with the annual income Rs 9.31 lakh and assets worth Rs 52.28 lakh. The annual income of Mandi MP Ramswaroop Sharma (60) is Rs 4.96 lakh while he possesses assets worth Rs 1.01 crore.

As far as educational qualifications are concerned, Dalit leader Virender Kashyap is the only postgraduate among four MPs. Both Shanta Kumar and Anurag Thakur are graduates while Ramswaroop is matriculate, says the report.

On professional front, Ramswaroop and Virender Kashyap call them agriculturalists while Shanta Kumar and Anurag Thakur describe themselves as businessman-cum-social activist, the report adds.

Contesting for fourth time  

• Anurag is contesting from Hamirpur for the fourth time and has never faced a defeat so far. 
• The next richest in line is veteran leader and Kangra MP Shanta Kumar (84). His annual income is Rs 18.60 lakh.
• Shimla (reserved) MP Virender Kashyap (68) is the third richest with the annual income Rs 9.31 lakh. 
• The annual income of Mandi MP Ramswaroop Sharma (60) is Rs 4.96 lakh.