Peoples Conference leader and businessman-turned-politician Irfan Raza Ansari is the richest among the 12 candidates in fray from Jammu and Kashmir’s Srinagar Lok Sabha seat that will head for voting in the second phase on Thursday.
Irfan Raza Ansari owns various businesses and has total assets worth ₹66.54 crores, according to an affidavit filed by him. He is the brother of former minister and Shia leader Imran Ansari who left the PDP to protest “nepotism and dynastic supremacy” in the party led by Mehbooba Mufti.
The 41-year-old Delhi University graduate had ₹1.5 lakh cash in hand at the time of filing his nomination from the prestigious constituency from where National Conference (NC) president and three-time Chief Minister Farooq Abdullah is seeking re-election.
According to his affidavit, Irfan Raza Ansari’s movable assets are worth ₹7.34 crore and include a fleet of expensive cars, including three Mercedes valued at ₹3.8 crore. He also has jewellery worth ₹10 lakh while his wife owns jewellery worth ₹30 lakh.
The PC candidate has immovable assets worth ₹.20 crore which include 170 kanals (21 acre) agricultural land having the market value of ₹12 crore and non-agriculture land valued at ₹42.4 crore. He has liabilities of ₹6.23 crore which include term loan, credit card outstanding and car loans. Mr. Ansari’s wife, who owns 10% equity shares in one of her husband’s companies, has movable assets worth ₹37.53 lakh, including jewellery valued at ₹30 lakh.
Mr. Abdullah, a former Union minister, has total declared assets of ₹12.1 crore. While his movable assets are valued at ₹1.59 crore, which include two cars, his immovable assets are worth ₹10.6 crore. The NC president has said he has no knowledge of the assets of his wife who lives in London since 1990. The 83-year-old leader holds a MBBS degree from a Rajasthan college.
PDP candidate and Shia leader Aga Mohsin has movable assets worth ₹18.30 lakh and immovable valued at Rs 1 crore. He has no cash in hand, while his wife owns jewellery worth ₹2 lakh. BJP’s Khalid Jehangir has movable assets valued at ₹64 lakh and immovable assets worth ₹1.5 crore.
His wife, a teacher, has movable assets worth ₹39 lakh which include jewellery worth ₹10 lakh, and immovable assets valued at ₹4 crore. Mr. Jehangir has liabilities of ₹38 lakh. Independent candidate Abdul Rashid Banday has ₹50,000 in cash and an equal amount in a bank. He has immovable assets worth ₹ 1.8 crore in 36 kanals of land. Rest seven other candidates have assets worth less than ₹1 crore.
Among the 12 candidates, Mr. Abdullah and Mr. Jehangir have criminal cases against them. While Mr. Abdullah has a case related to misappropriation of funds against him from the time he was the president of the Jammu and Kashmir Cricket Association (JKCA), Mr. Jehangir faces a defamation case filed by former minister and PDP leader Naeem Akhtar.
