Rana, Mian, Bharat among 10 top crorepatis contesting in 5th phase

Gopal Sharma
JAMMU, Dec 13: While 14 candidates contesting in the 5th phase of the Assembly elections have the criminal background, among the top ten most prosperous and wealthy candidates; Devinder Singh Rana, National Conference candidate from Nagrota tops the list of crorepatis, followed by Bharat Choudhary from PDP (Jammu East) and Rajneesh Mian from Congress, contesting from Bani constituency of  district Kathua.
Out of the total 213 candidates contesting in the fifth phase of Assembly elections being held on December 20 for 20 constituencies in Kathua, Jammu and Rajouri districts, Devinder Singh Rana from National Conference is at number one position with total assets worth Rs 24.93 crore as disclosed to the Election Commission of India. These include immovable assets worth Rs 19.75 crore and movable assets of Rs 5.18 crore.
Bharat Choudhary, PDP candidate  from Jammu East is at number two position with assets worth Rs 18.57 crore. He has disclosed his immovable assets worth Rs 13.30 crore and movable property of Rs 5.27 crore. Rajnish Sharma alias Mian, son of former Dy Chief Minister Pt Mangat Ram Sharma and Congress candidate from Bani constituency has disclosed assets worth Rs 15.36 crore, which include immovable assets worth Rs 5.40 crore and movable property to the tune of Rs 9.96 crore.
In the list of top ten, PDP candidate from Darhal, Ch Zulfikar Ali has disclosed total assets  worth Rs 15.35 crore. His immovable assets are worth Rs 14.60 crore while immovable property Rs 75.02 lakh. Balwan Singh  Congress candidate from Marh constituency of Jammu has disclosed assets worth Rs 13.51 crore. This includes immovable property worth Rs 11.98 crore and movable assets worth Rs 1.53 crore.
PHE, I&FC Minister and  Congress candidate from Akhnoor, Sham Lal Sharma has disclosed total assets worth Rs 10.44 crore. These include immovable assets worth Rs 9.04 crore and movable property of Rs 1.40 crore. Rakesh Wazir, BSP candidate from Nagrota is at number seven place with total assets worth Rs 9.91 crore. He has immovable property worth Rs 9.55 crore  and movable assets worth Rs 36.55 lakh.
B R Kundal, former Chief Secretary and Independent candidate from  R S Pura has disclosed assets worth Rs 9.17 crore. He has immovable assets worth Rs 7.31 crore and movable property of Rs 1.86 crore. National Conference candidate from Basohli Devinder Singh has disclosed property worth Rs 9 crore including  immovable assets worth Rs 5.81 crore and movable assets of Rs 3.18 crore. Hussain Ali Wafa from PDP (Nagrota) is at number ten position with total assets worth Rs 7.30 crore, Shiv Dev Singh from Congress (Nagrota) Rs 7.27 crore, Kuldeep Singh Ind candidate from Gandhinagar assets worth Rs 6.26 crore, Sanjeev Gupta Ind candidate from Jammu East property worth Rs 5.62 crore, Mohinder Kumar BSP candidate from Jammu West worth Rs 5.20 crore and Amrik Singh Reen from PDP (Gandhinagar) assets worth Rs 5.09 crore.
Former Health Minister and Congress  candidate from R S Pura Suman Bhagat has disclosed assets worth Rs  5.17 crore, former R&B Minister and Congress candidate from Bishnah Gulchain Singh Charak has property worth Rs 5.06 crore, Dr Gafoor Ahmed NC candidate from Akhnoor disclosed assets worth Rs 4.83 crore, former Minister and Congress candidate from Rajouri Shabir Ahmed Khan assets worth Rs 4.70 crore, R S Chib- Congress candidate from Suchetgarh property worth Rs 4.42 crore,  S S Shingari Congress candidate from Jammu West assets worth Rs 4.28 crore, Dharamveer Singh Jamwal- NC candidate from Jammu West assets worth Rs 4.04 crore, Minister for  Housing and Sports and Congress candidate from Gandhinagar Raman Bhalla assets worth Rs 3.74 crore, Suraj Parkash PDP candidate from Hiranagar property worth Rs 3.41 crore, Ch Liaqat Ali NC candidate from Darhal assets worth Rs 3.29 crore, Ch Dev Raj NCP candidate from Suchetgarh assets worth Rs 3.16 crore, bureaucrat turned politician Faqir Chand Bhagat PDP candidate from Bishnah property worth Rs 2.78 crore, Taranjit Singh Tony N C candidate from Suchetgarh assets worth Rs 2.65 crore, PDP candidate from Marh Suran Singh Rs 2.64 crore and Dy Chief Minister and Congress candidate from Chhamb Tara Chand assets worth Rs 2.47 crore.
BJP candidate  from Rajouri Ch Talib Hussain  has disclosed assets worth Rs 2.43 crore,  Er Abdul Ghani Kohli-BJP candidate from Kalakote has shown assets worth Rs 2.42 crore, BJP candidate from  Gandhinagar Kavinder Gupta has disclosed assets worth Rs 2.42 crore, NC candidate from Nowshera R S Sharma property worth Rs 2.36 crore, Jagdish Raj Sapolia Congress candidate from Basohli assets worth Rs 2.32 crore, Rajeev Sharma BJP candidate from Akhnoor Rs 2.12 crore, NC candidate from Marh Ajay Sadhotra assets worth Rs 2.08 crore,  BJP candidate Sham Choudhary from Suchetgarh assets worth Rs 1.96 crore, Sat Sharma BJP candidate from Jammu West property worth Rs 1.86 crore, BJP candidate from Billawar Dr Nirmal Singh assets worth Rs 1.66 crore, NC candidate from Kalakote Rashpal Singh  assets worth Rs 1.55 crore, Iqbal Malik Congress candidate from Darhal  Rs 1.53 crore, Congress candidate from Billawar Dr Manohar Lal Sharma property worth Rs 1.33 crore, NC candidate from Rajouri Mirza Abdul Rashid property worth Rs 1.33 crore, BJP candidate from Chhamb Dr Krishan Lal assets worth Rs 1.23 crore, Jatinder Singh alias Babu Singh Congress candidate from Kathua property worth  Rs 1.22 crore.
Rajesh Gupta BJP candidate from Jammu East has shown assets worth Rs 1.05 crore, BJP’s Sukhnandnan Choudhary from Marh Rs 1.16 crore, Dr Anil Dhar (Ind) from Jammu West Rs 1.17 crore Vikram Malhotra Congress candidate from Jammu East assets worth Rs 96 lakh, Congress candidate from Nowshera Ravinder Sharma assets worth Rs 90.62 lakh  whereas, Ch Lal Singh- BJP candidate from Basohli has disclosed his total property worth Rs 85.38 lakh to the Election Commission.
Meanwhile, out of the total 213 in fray, 14 (7%) candidates are those who have declared criminal cases pending against them.  Out of these, nine ( 4%) are those against whom serious criminal cases, for which maximum punishment is of 5 years  and offence is non-bailable are pending and still contesting in the polls in 5th phase. Of them three are from  Congress, two from National Conference, four from NPP, four independent and one from Hindustan Janata Party. Two of them are sitting MLAs one each from NC and Congress while two are former minister from district Kathua and Jammu.
One candidate is illiterate, 101 are 12th pass while 108 (51 %) graduate or above.  There are just nine (4%) women candidates in the fray out of 213.
The details are based on analysis by J&K Election watch (ADR) coordinators Balvinder Singh and Dr Shaikh Gulam.

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