LUCKNOW: Gold worth more than a kilogram, licensed firearms, luxury vehicles, agricultural land and properties in several cities — the nomination affidavits of the BJP and Samajwadi Party candidates for the Uttar Pradesh Rajya Sabha elections offer a detailed picture of the assets and liabilities of the 10 leaders set to enter the Upper House.
The BJP has fielded eight candidates for the 10 Rajya Sabha seats falling vacant from Uttar Pradesh, while the Samajwadi Party has nominated veteran leader Ram Gopal Yadav and corporate executive Dhanraj Parimal Nathwani. With the SP deciding against fielding a third candidate, all 10 candidates are now set to be elected unopposed.
The asset declarations also reveal a striking range in the financial profiles of the nominees. All eight BJP candidates have declared assets of more than ₹1 crore, while the SP's Nathwani has declared family assets of ₹373.26 crore. Ram Gopal Yadav has declared total assets of ₹14.60 crore.
BJP nominees: All eight are crorepatis
Among the BJP candidates, former MP Vidyasagar Sonkar has declared the highest family assets at around ₹18.75 crore, according to the affidavit-based compilation. A significant portion of the assets has been reported as inherited property. His declared assets include a Tata Safari Storme, a tanker and two Tata Ace vehicles in his wife's name. He has also declared a revolver and a rifle.
Shruti Gangwar, daughter of Jharkhand Governor and former Union minister Santosh Gangwar, has declared family assets of around ₹14.81 crore. Her affidavit stands out for her jewellery holdings, with more than 1.1 kg of gold and around five kg of silver reported. She has not declared a vehicle.
Senior lawyer Radhakant Ojha has declared family assets of around ₹11.95 crore. His declared vehicles include a Kia Carnival and a Maruti Alto.
Former Barabanki MP Priyanka Singh Rawat has declared family assets of around ₹9.42 crore. Her affidavit includes a Ford Fiesta, two pistols — one foreign-made and one Indian-made — and jewellery comprising around 500 grams of gold, two kg of silver and diamonds valued at about ₹5 lakh.
UP minister Dharampal Singh has declared family assets of approximately ₹7.46 crore. His affidavit lists a rifle and a revolver in his name, while another revolver is declared in his wife's name. Therefore, the claim that Dharampal Singh personally owns three firearms would be inaccurate; the three firearms are held by the couple.
Gopi Krishna Pandey, associated with the BJP Kisan Morcha, has declared family assets of around ₹5.62 crore. His declared assets include a Mahindra 3XO, a tractor and a revolver.
Ram Pratap Singh Chauhan, BJP state general secretary and a former MLA, has declared family assets of approximately ₹2.61 crore. His affidavit lists a Scorpio and a .32-bore revolver.
Prakash Pal, BJP OBC Morcha state president, has declared family assets of around ₹2.16 crore. His declared assets include two scooters, one in his name and another in his wife's name.
SP's Ram Gopal Yadav declares ₹14.60 crore
The SP's veteran nominee Prof Ram Gopal Yadav has declared total assets of approximately ₹14.60 crore, comprising ₹4.61 crore in movable assets and ₹9.99 crore in immovable assets.
His declaration also includes liabilities of around ₹1 crore. Yadav has declared income from pension, agriculture and other sources. His affidavit includes firearms and jewellery among his declared assets.
Yadav, a veteran parliamentarian and one of the SP's two nominees, is seeking another term in the Rajya Sabha.
Nathwani's ₹373.26-crore family wealth
The most substantial asset declaration among the SP nominees comes from Dhanraj Parimal Nathwani, whose political entry into the Rajya Sabha contest attracted attention because of his corporate background.
Nathwani has declared family assets worth ₹373.26 crore in his nomination affidavit. Of this, his own assets are valued at approximately ₹105.42 crore, comprising ₹77.75 crore in movable assets and ₹27.67 crore in immovable assets.
His wife Bhoomi Nathwani has declared movable assets worth approximately ₹211.10 crore and immovable assets worth ₹53.59 crore. The couple's two dependents have declared combined movable assets of about ₹3.15 crore.
BJP's political selection also reflects caste representation
The BJP's eight-member list is not only notable for the financial disclosures but also for its social composition. The party has fielded five candidates from OBC and Scheduled Caste communities — Dharampal Singh, Priyanka Singh Rawat, Prakash Pal, Vidyasagar Sonkar and Shruti Gangwar — along with Radhakant Ojha, Gopi Krishna Pandey and Ram Pratap Singh Chauhan.
The BJP has also not renominated any of its outgoing UP Rajya Sabha members. Union minister Hardeep Singh Puri and BL Verma are among the prominent names missing from the new list.
From ₹2 crore to ₹373 crore
The affidavits therefore reveal a wide financial spectrum among the incoming UP Rajya Sabha members. On the BJP side, the declared family assets range from about ₹2.16 crore for Prakash Pal to ₹18.75 crore for Vidyasagar Sonkar. On the SP side, Ram Gopal Yadav has declared ₹14.60 crore, while Nathwani's family declaration stands at ₹373.26 crore.
The declarations also highlight the varied nature of assets held by political nominees — from inherited and agricultural property to commercial investments, gold and silver jewellery, vehicles and licensed firearms-- giving a glimpse into the personal assets, investments and liabilities of the 10 leaders set to represent Uttar Pradesh in the Rajya Sabha.