Irfan Tramboo
SRINAGAR, Sept 11: In North Kashmir, the trend of candidates reporting increased annual incomes continues, with many prominent Phase III nominees for the Assembly elections declaring their wives wealthier than themselves.
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Starting with National Conference’s Farooq Ahmad Shah, contesting from the Gulmarg Assembly segment, his income has doubled since 2019-from Rs 5 lakh to over Rs 11 lakh. Despite this, Shah owns movable assets worth only Rs 12 lakh, while his wife has Rs 39 lakh in movable assets.
His wife, a retired Government employee, reported an income of Rs 5 lakh, up from Rs 2.97 lakh in 2021-22. Shah holds immovable assets valued at Rs 58.60 lakh, while his wife’s are worth Rs 7.45 crore. Both have a liability of Rs 12 lakh, with their declared source of income listed as a pension.
The same pattern is observed with the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) candidate Syed Basharat Bukhari, contesting from the Wagoora-Kreeri Assembly constituency. His wife owns immovable assets worth over Rs 66 lakh, while Bukhari’s immovable assets are valued at over Rs 43 lakh.
He reported an increase in his annual income from Rs 23,000 to Rs 10 lakh for the financial year 2023-24, whereas his wife’s annual income decreased from Rs 6.45 lakh to Rs 5.82 lakh in the same period.
Bukhari has Rs 40 lakh in immovable assets and a liability of Rs 5.59 lakh, while his wife’s immovable assets are valued at Rs 3.95 crore with liabilities totaling Rs 35 lakh in education and housing loans. Bukhari has not disclosed his source of income, but his wife’s is listed as her monthly salary.
Another NC candidate, Dr Sajjad Shafi, contesting in the Uri segment, also reported having fewer assets than his wife, a doctor by profession. According to his affidavit, Shafi’s annual income has decreased from Rs 6.38 lakh in 2019-20 to Rs 3.99 lakh, while his wife’s income increased from Rs 13 lakh to Rs 19 lakh in 2022-23.
Shafi, an MBBS doctor, owns immovable assets worth Rs 57 lakh, compared to his wife’s Rs 11 lakh. In terms of immovable assets, Shafi holds Rs 97 lakh, while his wife owns property valued at Rs 4.64 crore. He has a loan liability of Rs 6.89 lakh, but his wife has no liabilities. Their sources of income are pension and his wife’s salary.
Former Congress leader Usman Majid, now an Independent candidate from the Bandipora segment, has also reported his wife’s assets surpassing his own. His wife holds movable assets worth Rs 71 lakh, including 660 grams of gold, a Fortuner vehicle, a MetLife policy, and other bank deposits. In comparison, Usman’s movable assets total Rs 17 lakh, including 48 grams of gold, a Pajero vehicle and bank deposits.
In terms of immovable assets, Usman owns property worth Rs 1.46 crore, while his wife owns non-agricultural land worth Rs 2.95 crore. His annual income has risen to Rs 10 lakh, up from Rs 4.41 lakh in 2020-21, while his wife’s income has increased to Rs 6.50 lakh, up from Rs 3.20 lakh. Both have declared zero liabilities, with “politics” and “business” listed as their sources of income.
Senior politician Taj Mohiudin, a former Congress leader now supported by the Apni Party, is the wealthiest among the prominent figures who filed nominations just before the deadline.
Taj reported an annual income of Rs 28 lakh, up from Rs 21 lakh in 2019-20, with pension, rent from hotels, and agriculture listed as sources of income. He declared movable assets worth over Rs 6 crore, while his wife’s are valued at over Rs 1 crore.
His immovable assets total Rs 53 crore, with a liability of Rs 2.54 lakh for a car loan. In 2014, his declared assets were worth Rs 19 crore. He holds M.Sc. and LLB degrees from Delhi University.
Member of Parliament Engineer Rashid’s brother, Khursheed Ahmad Sheikh, who recently resigned from Government service to contest the elections from Langate segment, also filed his papers. His affidavit states that he did not declare an annual income.
His movable assets are valued at Rs 2.40 lakh, while his wife’s are worth Rs 6 lakh. Khursheed’s immovable assets include a residential house valued at Rs 47 lakh, which he inherited. He has liabilities of Rs 36 lakh, and his wife has Rs 3 lakh in liabilities.
Former MP from Baramulla, Mir Muhammad Fayaz of the PDP, reported a decline in income from Rs 12 lakh in 2020-21 to Rs 2.79 lakh recently.
Imran Raza Ansari, contesting from the Pattan segment, reported nearly a 50% decrease in income, from Rs 41 lakh in 2018-19 to Rs 21 lakh in 2022-23. He also has two FIRs registered against him under various IPC sections. In 2013-14, he declared an annual income of Rs 5.64 lakh.
He holds Rs 58 lakh in movable assets, while his wife owns Rs 52 lakh worth of such assets. With no liabilities, Ansari’s immovable assets are valued at Rs 12 crore. His income sources are religious priesthood, consultancy, and rental income.
Nasir Aslam Wani, another NC candidate from Kupwara, declared movable assets worth Rs 47 lakh, while his wife, who is self-employed with a negative income, holds movable assets worth Rs 58.80 lakh, including a Mahindra Thar vehicle, 560 grams of gold, and other bank deposits.
Nasir’s annual income has increased to Rs 10 lakh, up from Rs 4.46 lakh in 2019-20. He owns immovable property valued at Rs 8.44 crore, while his wife’s immovable property is worth Rs 2.50 crore. He has liabilities totaling over Rs 2 crore, while his wife owes Rs 9 lakh.
Apni Party’s young leader from Rafiabad, Yawar Ahmad Mir, formerly with the PDP, declared an annual income of Rs 6.75 lakh, up from Rs 5.20 lakh in 2019-20. Yawar’s movable assets are valued at Rs 50 lakh, and his wife’s at Rs 40 lakh, including jewelry and valuables.
Yawar owns immovable assets worth Rs 50 lakh, and his wife’s are valued at Rs 33 lakh. Their liabilities amount to Rs 4.70 lakh and Rs 17.63 lakh, respectively. In 2014, Yawar, who holds an LLM degree from the University of Nottingham, had declared assets worth Rs 2.20 lakh. His income source is pension, while his wife’s is listed as business.
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