Richest candidate owns Rs 2.72 cr, poorest nothing

Tribune News Service
Phagwara, September 30

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If BSP candidate Thekedar Bhagwan Dass is the richest of all in fray with assets worth Rs2.72 crore, Akali councillor Baljinder Singh, who on Monday filed his papers as an Independent candidate for Phagwara bypoll, has shown his wealth as nil on his affidavit.

Thekedar Bhagwan Dass and his spouse jointly own immovable assets worth Rs1.85 crore and movable assets to the tune of Rs87.7 lakh. The total assets of Congress candidate Balwinder Singh Dhaliwal and his wife own assets worth Rs1.82 crore while those of BJP candidate Rajesh Bagha are Rs87.35 lakh.

Baljinder Singh has shown no assets in his name or in the name of his spouse or dependents. Even his bank account has no cash or deposits or jewellery, according to the affidavit. He does not even own a vehicle.

He, however, has been showing filing of income tax returns to the tune of approximately Rs2.9 lakh annually for the last five years. He has not even given his contact number or qualification in his affidavit which is a must. He rather seems to have been filed his papers in a hurry.

Like him, Independent candidate Neetu Shatranwala also filed his papers in haste. He first came around 11 am to file papers from the reserved seat but without the mandatory SC certificate. He later came again but still his affidavit uploaded on the ECI website has most columns unfilled. He has not even mentioned his vote details on the front page of his affidavit. Neetu committed all these mistakes, despite having an experience in contesting polls, as he contested from Jalandhar Lok Sabha seat this year.

Most candidates who have filed papers are Class XII pass, including BJP candidate Rajesh Bagha, LIP candidate Jarnail Nangal and AAP candidate Santosh Kumar Gogi. The BSP candidate is matriculate. The People’s Party of India (Democratic) candidate Charanjit Kumar is Class VIII pass. Among all, Congress candidate and retired IAS officer BS Dhaliwal stands out being a postgraduate.

Richest: BSP candidate Thekedar Bhagwan Dass ( Rs 2.72 cr)

Poorest: Independent candidate Baljinder Singh (nil)

Most educated: Congress candidate BS Dhaliwal (MA in geography)

Least educated: Independent candidates Lakhveer Singh, Manjinder Kaur (Class VI)

Youngest: Independent candidate Lakhveer Singh (35 years)