BJP’s outgoing Finance Minister richest in Haryana fray

Chandigarh: Haryana’s outgoing Finance Minister and businessman Abhimanyu has become richer in the last five years with his total assets multiplying almost double.

Next in the pack of rich candidates is Congress leader Kuldeep Bishnoi, who is seeking re-election from Adampur in Hisar district. In his poll affidavit, he has declared assets to the tune of Rs 105.52 crore.

As per the affidavit, BJP leader Abhimanyu, who is seeking re-election from Narnaud, owns assets worth Rs 170.41 crore against Rs 77.36 crore during the 2014 assembly elections.

The figure was shown as the combined assets in the name of Abhimanyu, his wife, Hindu undivided family and three dependent children.

He has movable and immovable assets of Rs 76.46 crore and Rs 93.95 crore, respectively.

Congress leader Bishnoi, 51, in his poll affidavit declared that the combined movable and immovable assets of him and his wife Renuka stood at Rs 56.70 crore and Rs 48.82 crore, respectively.

Bishnoi, the son of stalwart of Haryana’s dusty and defection-ridden politics and three-time Chief Minister the late Bhajan Lal, owns a fleet of luxury cars comprising Audi Q7 and BMW. His wife has a Mercedes Benz.

Bishnoi, whose hotel in a prime business space of Gurgaon worth Rs 150 crore has been attached by the Income Tax department considering it as a ‘benami’ asset, is pitted against small screen actress Sonali Phogat of the BJP.

In her election campaigns, Phogat is targeting the Bishnoi family by staying they would disappear from the constituency for five years once the election is over.

Another BJP candidate, Prem Lata, the wife of former Union minister Birender Singh, is among the rich candidates.

She has declared assets worth Rs 21.61 crore.

Sitting legislator Lata filed her nomination papers from Uchana Kalan. She owns a Land Rover vehicle worth Rs 49.45 lakh while her husband possesses Mercedes Benz.

Lata, 59, is taking on former member of Parliament and newly formed Jannayak Janata Party (JJP) candidate Dushyant Chautala, 31, great grandson of former Deputy Prime Minister Devi Lal, who is also multi-millionaire the with total assets of Rs 43 crore.

Dushyant’s estranged uncle Abhay Singh, who is seeking re-election from Ellenabad as an Indian National Lok Dal candidate, owns movable and immovable assets of 61 crore.

His income in 2018-19 stood at Rs 1.17 crore.

Published on: Oct 4, 2019 at 19:12 IST

IANS