Assembly polls 2024
Nishikant Khajuria
JAMMU, Aug 27: Most of the former Ministers in fray from various Assembly constituencies in Jammu division going to the polls in Phase-1, are hardly matriculate or 12th pass but have moveable and immovable property worth crores of rupees.
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Among the seven former Ministers contesting the 2024 Assembly polls from these Jammu division seats, only two are Graduate including one from infamous Vinayaka Mission University.
The former Ministers in fray include Abdul Majid Wani (DPAP, Ghulam Mohd Saroori (Independent), Sajjad Ahmed Kichloo (National Conference), Sunil Sharma (BJP), Shakti Raj Parihar (BJP), Vikar Rasool Wani (Congress) and Khalid Najib Suharwardhy (National Conference).
Both Abdul Majid Wani and Ghulam Mohd Saroori are matriculates only while Sajjad Ahmad Kichloo, Sunil Sharma and Shakti Raj Parihar are 12th pass.
However, Khalid Najib Suharwardhy is Bachelor in Engineer (BE) from REC Srinagar while Vikar Rasool Wani is BA from Vinayaka Mission University through Distance Mode.
Interestingly, all these former ministers have moveable and immovable assets worth crores of rupees, including cash, jewelery, vehicles, land etc.
As per the affidavits filed by them along with nomination papers before the Returning Officer concerned for election to the Legislative Assembly, Sajjad Ahmed Kichloo of NC, who is contesting from Kishtwar Assembly constituency, is the richest among all these former Ministers by having around Rs 20 crores moveable and immovable assets.
Abdul Majid Wani, who is contesting as DPAP candidate from Doda Assembly constituency, have more than 16.5 crore moveable and immovable assets, which include land, vehicles, jewellery and cash etc.
Ghulam Mohd Saroori, Independent candidate from Inderwal Assembly constituency, has moveable and immovable assets worth Rs 8.32 crores. These include residential houses at Prem Nagar Jammu, Srinagar, shops etc.
Former minister Shakti Raj Parihar and Sunil Sharma, who are BJP candidates from Doda-West and Padder Nagseni Assembly constituencies, respectively have property worth Rs 3.84 crores and Rs 6.59 crores, respectively.
Congress candidate from Banihal, Vikar Rasool Wani, has more than Rs 3.5 crore assets, including jewelery of Rs 35 lakh and a vehicle. He has also liabilities of Rs 65,18,937 in the form of two loans from J&K Bank, Bathindi. Khalid Najib Suharwardhy, who is NC candidate from Doda, has Rs 1.79 crore moveable and immovable assets.
Vikar Rasool Wani and former IAS officer Sheikh Mehboob Iqbal are among the few candidates against whom criminal cases are pending. There is an FIR registered against Mehboob Iqbal for alleged misconduct in implementation of Roshni Act while Vikar Rasool Wani is facing charges of violation of Election Code of Conduct.
Among other prominent candidates in fray, former MLC Daleep Singh Parihar is also a matriculate only and has immoveable assets of Rs 1.43 cr and moveable assets of more than Rs 60 lakh.
Shagun Parihar of BJP and Pooja Thakur of NC, candidates from Kishtwar, are M Tech from IK Gujral Punjab Technical University and MA in Political Science from Jammu University, respectively. Nadeem Sharief, Congress candidate from Bhaderwah, is Bachelor of Business Management from Bangalore.
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