Punjab Dy CM is worth Rs 76 cr, but has no car

Heir apparent and president of the ruling Shiromani Akali Dal, Sukhbir Singh Badal, does not own a single car, just a 1999-model tractor worth Rs 2.68 lakh.

Yet Sukhbir’s financial worth increased by more than half-a-crore every month since April 2009, at least going by the details given by the junior Badal, who is the deputy CM of Punjab, in an affidavit filed on Monday. Sukhbir also filed his nomination on Monday from Jalalabad constituency.

Badal’s assets grew about Rs 19 crore since the 2009 Lok Sabha poll. His current gross worth is over Rs 76.46 crore, including cash, bank deposits, vehicles and jewellery worth over Rs 27.58 crore. In April 2009, Sukhbir had assets worth Rs 57.27 crore.

Sukhbir Badal’s wife and MP from Bathinda, whose assets were worth around Rs three  crore in April 2009, now stand  at over Rs 14 crore.

Attempt to murder case

Punjab’s deputy chief minister also faces a case of attempt-to-murder. The case was registered against him at Kotkapura in Faridkot. The sessions judge had framed charges against Sukhbir but the Punjab and Haryana High Court had stayed proceedings in the matter in September 2008.

Sukhbir owes over Rs three  crore to the income tax department, which is under appeal.

In another development, Peoples’ Party of Punjab president Manpreet Singh Badal on Monday came to file nomination papers as a candidate from Gidderbaha and Maur.

But he did not provide form 26, which carries details of assets. For this, Manpreet got a notice from the Returning Officer. Manpreet said it was a technical mistake.