Jammu & Kashmir Elections 2024: Crorepatis dominate state polls; take a look at assets of candidates in fray

Over 200 candidates in the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly elections have declared assets exceeding Rs 1 crore, with several prominent figures reporting significant wealth and increased income.

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At least 219 candidates for the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly elections have disclosed their assets, demonstrating that 50% of the candidates are from the region of Kashmir. Every single one of these competitors has disclosed assets worth more than Rs 1 crore. Phase one applicants have assets averaging Rs 3 crore. Thirteen of these candidates have assets totalling more than Rs 10 crores.

Out of the 219 contenders, just 9 are female. Curiously, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), led by Mehbooba Mufti, has the most proportion of crorepatis. Among PDP's 21 candidates, 18 are from the state of Kerala.

In the race for Anantnag West, Abdul Gaffar Sofi has reported assets of over Rs 66 crore, and Imtiaz Ahmed of the same party has disclosed assets of over Rs 34 crore.

Tariq Hameed Karra

Tariq Hameed Karra, the president of the Jammu and Kashmir Pradesh Congress Committee (JKPCC), has disclosed a net worth of more than Rs 190 crore. Since 2021, his yearly income has also increased. Almost all of the candidates have stated that their yearly salary has increased.

The information provided shows that Karra, 69, has reported moveable assets at Rs 3.4 lakh, while his wife has assets valued at Rs 40 lakh. Karra has immovable assets estimated at Rs 148 crore, which includes residential properties worth over Rs 25 crore, business structures valued at over Rs 9 crore, and agricultural land valued at Rs 113.47 crore.

Mir

Mir, contesting from the Gulmarg Assembly segment in North Kashmir, has declared movable assets worth Rs 5.27 crore, while his wife has movable assets worth Rs 12 lakh. His declared annual income increased from Rs 49 lakh in 2018-19 to Rs 52.82 lakh in 2022-23.

Abid Hussain Ansari

Abid Hussain Ansari, the head of the Peoples Conference (PC), has seen his salary nearly treble from Rs 10 lakh in 2019 to Rs 28 lakh. The income of his second wife increased from Rs 8.79 lakh to Rs 17.30 lakh between 2020 and 2021.

Ansari, 77, is running for office from Zadibal. He has reported moveable assets of Rs 1.47 crore, of which Rs 10 lakh belong to his first wife and Rs 34.75 lakh to his second.

In addition, he possesses real estate worth at Rs 38 crore, while the real estate held by his second wife is valued at Rs 3.20 crore. Ansari, who is debt-free, lists his company and pension as his sources of income; his second wife works for the government and receives a salary.

Ghulam Nabi Lone

Ghulam Nabi Lone Hanjura, a top PDP politician, has acknowledged having 2.22 crore in moveable assets and 1.76 crore in immovable property; his wife has movable assets valued at Rs 9 lakh. He disclosed assets of Rs. 8 crore in 2014. He is running from the Budgam district's Chrar-e-Sharief seat. He reported having obligations of Rs 33 lakh and an annual income of Rs 6.55 lakh, up from Rs 4.75 lakh in 2020–21. His claimed source of income is his pension.

Gazanfar Ali

Former Srinagar Municipal Corporation (SMC), Commissioner Gazanfar Ali is contesting election from Lal Chowk constituency for Engineer Rashid’s AIP.  He disclosed a 13 lakh rupee income in the last year, but he did not provide any information from prior years. His wife has Rs 28 lakh in moveable assets, compared to his Rs 21 lakh.

Gazanfar has 4.80 crore rupees worth of immovable assets and 10 lakh rupees worth of liabilities. His pension has been disclosed as his source of income. Leader of the Awami National Conference (ANC), Muzaffar Shah, is running for office from Habba Kadal. He has declared an annual income of Rs. 15 lakh, but he has not disclosed his income for the previous five years.

He holds Rs 21 lakh in movable property, while his wife’s movable assets amount to Rs 50 lakh. Shah also owns Rs 10 crore in immovable property, with a Rs 2 crore liability from a J-K Bank loan.

Nazir Ahmad Khan

Nazir Ahmad Khan, the National Conference candidate running from Gurez, has disclosed less assets than his spouse. Khan has cash and a bank deposit of Rs 5 lakh, totalling Rs 5.70 lakh in moveable assets. Seventy grammes of gold are among the moveable assets worth Rs 7.50 lakh that his wife possesses.

Khan has immovable properties valued at Rs 25 crore, while his wife, a teacher in a government school, has assets valued at Rs 33 crore. Two hotels and a guest home owned jointly by the couple are also included in their immovable assets.

They each owe Rs. 1 crore in obligations. While his wife's salary climbed from Rs 4.99 lakh to Rs 10 lakh, Khan's income jumped from Rs 3.95 lakh in 2019–20 to Rs 9.70 lakh in 2023–24. Khan discloses his income as coming from his business and his wife's pay. In 2014, Khan disclosed an income of Rs 35,000.

Shoaib Nabi Lone

Shoaib Nabi Lone, an Independent candidate from Baramulla, reported a decrease in his annual income from Rs 6.50 lakh in 2020-21 to Rs 5.21 lakh in 2023-24.

He owns movable assets worth over Rs 2 crore, while his wife owns assets worth Rs 10.90 lakh. Lone also owns immovable assets worth Rs 19 crore and has liabilities of Rs 78 lakh, while his wife has declared liabilities of Rs 5 crore.