Nishikant Khajuria
JAMMU, Sept 4: BJP candidate from Budhal Assembly segment and former minister Chowdhary Zulfkar Ali is richest among all the prominent contestants in the constituencies falling in twin border districts of Poonch and Rajouri, going to polls in phase II of scheduled Assembly elections in J&K.
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Even as all the prominent candidates – mostly former Ministers, ex-legislators and kin of deceased leaders, are multi-millionaire, Chowdhary Zulfkar is far ahead from others in terms of movable and immovable assets.
According to the affidavits filed by these candidates along with the nomination papers before the Returning Officer for Election, Chowdhary Zulfkar has Rs 17.26 crore immovable and Rs 3.22 crore movable assets in his name.
These include cash, deposits in banks, shares of J&K Bank, Mahindra Scorpio and Creta cars, agricultural land worth Rs 1.84 crores in Koteranka, non-agricultural land worth Rs 6.90 crores at Chowadhi, commercial and residential buildings, shops, Petrol Pump etc.
In addition, his wife has movable assets of Rs 1.03 crores in the form of bank deposits, cash and 1,2 kg gold jewellery besides immovable assets of Rs 70 lakh.
Son of Late Mohammad Husain Chowdhary, a former Minister in then Farooq Abdullah-led National Conference Government, Chowdhary Zulfkar himself remained MLA from PDP and Cabinet Minister in then Mehbooba Mufti-led Government. He is LLB from Jammu University and MBA from IGNOU.
Other prominent candidates for various Assembly constituencies in Poonch-Rajouri include former Minister Mushtaq Ahmad Bukhari ( BJP-Surankote), Ex- MLA Choudhary Mohammed Akram (Independent-Surankote), Ex-MLA Aijaz Ahmad Jan (NC-Poonch Haveli), Shamim Ahmad (PDP-Poonch Haveli), Ex- MLC Murtaza Ahmad Khan (BJP-Mendhar), Udesh Pal Sharma (Independent-Poonch Haveli) and Yasuvardhan Singh (NC-Kalakote Sunderbani).
Udesh Pal Sharma is son of Late Yashpal Sharma, a prominent leader of Poonch and former MLC while Yasuvardhan Singh is son of Late Rashpal Singh, Ex-MLA Kalakote.
As per the affidavits, BJP’s Murtaza Ahmad Khan has more than Rs 10 crore moveable and immovable assets, which include 6 Acres agricultural land, non-agricultural land worth Rs 6 crores at Sidhra Jammu and residential house worth Rs 2 crores at Mendhar,
Former Minister Mushtaq Ahmad Bukhari, BJP candidate from Surankote, has Rs 14 lakh movable assets while his wife has Rs 37.50 lakh moveable and Rs 56 lakh immovable assets. Educational qualification of Mushtaq Bukhari is 9th standard only.
Independent candidate and former MLA Choudhary Mohd Akram, who is son of Late Choudhary Mohammed Aslam (former Speaker and Minister), has Rs 2.58 crore immovable and movable assets. These include agricultural land, house at Channi Himmat, commercial and residential buildings at Lassana.
Former MLA and NC candidate Aijaz Ahmad Jan has immovable assets worth Rs 2.62 crore and moveable assets worth Rs 26,39,512. His wife has moveable assets of Rs 20,48,372.
Shamim Ahmad, PDP candidate from Poonch Haveli has Rs 1,25000 moveable and Rs 1.10 crore immovable assets.
Educational qualification of both Aijaz Jan and Shamim Ahmad is 12th standard only.
30-year old Yasuvardhan Singh, son of Late Rashpal Singh and NC candidate from Kalakote Sunderbani, is BA LLB from Jammu University and has moveable assets worth Rs 27,61,903, which include cash of Rs 50,000 and i-20 car.
Udesh Raj Sharma (32), son of Late Yashpal Sharma, who is contesting as Independent candidate from Poonch Haveli, is Bachelor of Dental Surgery. His moveable and immovable assets include Rs 1,75,000 cash, a Thar vehicle, Bullet motorcycle, land at Chowadhi Jammu, commercial building at Bus Stand Poonch etc, worth Rs 1.8 crores approximately.
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