India’s former soccer captain and Trinamool Congress nominee for Darjeeling Lok Sabha seat Bhaichung Bhutia is the richest candidate among 62 contestants for four constituencies in North Bengal. He owns movable and immovable properties worth around `16 crore.
Declaring that he has never been accused in any court case, he has put down his last year’s income as Rs 65 lakh and that of his wife Madhuri Rs 11 lakh. Both have cash, investments and policies worth around Rs 2.23 crore.
He also owns an Audi Q5 worth Rs 41,84,300 and jewellery worth Rs 14,85,000. His immovable properties are worth Rs 13.47 crore.
For the four seats in North Bengal - Cooch Behar, Alipurduars, Jalpaiguri and Darjeeling constituencies, 62 persons belonging to various political parties and independents have filed their nominations.
BJP nominee from Darjeeling Surendra Singh Ahluwalia’s total assets is around Rs 1.6 crore. Ahluwalia is being supported by the GJM. He and his wife have `3,81,100 in hand, bank deposits of Rs 70,30,582, two vehicles and a property worth Rs 74 lakh. Congress candidate from the same constituency Sujay Ghatak owns immovable assets worth Rs 26 lakh. He and his wife own land and properties worth around Rs 15 lakh.
CPM’s Saman Pathak has four criminal cases registered against him. Last year, he earned Rs 7,20,000 while his wife Alka earned Rs 5,20,000. They have movable assets worth 19,59,732.
The poorest candidate of any registered party is Goutam Bhattacharya (SUCI), also contesting from Darjeeling. He and his wife together have only Rs 1,800 in hand. He has stated his profession as a full-time political worker.
In Jalpaiguri, Bijoy Barman (TMC) has immovable assets worth Rs 71 lakh and his wife has Rs 25 lakh. Their immovable assets amount to Rs 39 lakh. In the same seat, Satyalal Sarkar (BJP) and his spouse have properties worth Rs 94 lakh, while Sukhbilas Barma (Congress) has movable assets of Rs 32.75 lakh and Rs 1.85 crore worth properties.
Joseph Munda, the Congress nominee from Alipurduars seat, is probably the poorest candidate from his party in West Bengal. His has Rs 1 lakh in hand and owns two vehicles and Rs 10 lakh-worth immovable properties. He and his wife are tea garden workers and own one acre of land with market value Rs 10 lakh.