Source: 
Author: 
Date: 
16.10.2019
City: 

New Delhi: Haryana cabinet minister Captain Abhimanyu’s wealth increased by about 120 per cent or Rs 93 crore in the last five years, reveals an analysis of self-sworn election affidavits by Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR). The minister, who holds eight portfolios in the Bharatiya Janata Party government (BJP) in Haryana including Finance, Excise and Taxation, Revenue and Law & Legislature, has declared the value of his total assets to be Rs 170.45 crore in his nomination affidavit compared to Rs 77.4 crore that he declared in 2014. This is the highest increase in total assets of any re-contesting MLA in absolute monetary terms. According to the ADR analysis, Captain Abhimanyu has declared his total annual income to be Rs 4.7 crore (as per last I-T return) in his affidavit. He declared his salary as a minister in the Haryana government, rental income, transportation business, interest and agriculture as the source of his income. Captain Abhimanyu is a sitting BJP MLA from Narnaund constituency in Hisar district in Haryana and is contesting again from the same seat. He is also the second-richest candidate overall in the 2019 Haryana assembly polls behind Rohtas Singh of Jananayak Janata Party (JJP) who has declared assets worth over Rs 325 crore in his affidavit. There are a total of 63 re-contesting MLAs in fray in the upcoming Assembly election in the state, of which 62 were analysed by ADR. The average assets of re-contesting MLAs have increased from Rs 11.32 crore in 2014 to Rs 14.94 crore in 2019, a surge of almost 32 per cent. Other re-contesting MLAs among top five gainers are: Naina Sahni of the JJP with an increase of Rs 31.5 crore (52%), Kuldeep Bishnoi of Congress with Rs 25.4 crore (32%) worth of increase in assets, Abhay Singh Chautala of Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) with increase of Rs 23 crore (53%), and Randeep Singh Surjewala of Congress with Rs 7.94 crore (173%) worth of rise in assets in the last five years. Incidentally, Kuldeep Bishnoi had declared assets worth Rs 17.3 crore in 2009, which increased by 363 per cent to Rs 80.12 crore in 2014 and have now gone up to Rs 105.54 crore in 2019. Party-wise, 39 re-contesting MLAs of the BJP witnessed an increase of Rs 3.72 crore (44.72%), value of assets of 17 re-contesting MLAs from the Congress surged Rs 3.05 crore (19.16%), assets of two JJP and one INLD re-contesting MLA increased by Rs 16.09 crore (52.76%) and Rs 23.48 crore (54.45%), respectively. On the other hand, the three Independent re-contesting MLAs witnessed a decrease of Rs 3.52 crore (-25%) in their assets.

© Association for Democratic Reforms
Privacy And Terms Of Use
Donation Payment Method