With over Rs 7 crore, BJP’s Jitendra Singh is richest candidate from Udhampur Lok Sabha seat

Srinagar: Jitendra Singh, Union Minister and BJP candidate for the Udhampur-Kathua-Doda Lok Sabha constituency, has emerged as the richest candidate contesting in the first phase of the Lok Sabha elections in Jammu and Kashmir.

In his latest poll affidavit, Singh has declared assets worth Rs 7.20 crore, the highest among all candidates in this phase. The wealth includes movable assets of over Rs 3.33 crore and immovable properties valued at Rs 3.77 crore.

His financial portfolio has seen a remarkable surge since 2014 when he became the MP for the first time. In 2014, he had declared his movable assets at Rs 88.22 lakh and immovable assets of Rs 2.31 crore. In 2019, the movable assets of the minister stood at Rs 1.84 crore while the immovable assets were Rs 4.02 crore.

The moveable and immovable assets of his wife Manju - a housewife whose source of income is interest from bank deposits - also increased from over Rs 65.42 lakh in 2014 to over Rs 1.54 crore, a comparison of poll affidavits of 2014 and 2024 show.

Singh's income sources include pension, salary as a MP and minister, and interest from deposits, while his spouse's income is from interest on deposits. He has no criminal case pending against him and also has no liability.

Other Wealthy Candidates

Ghulam Nabi Azad led Democratic Progressive Azad Party (DPAP) candidate Ghulam Mohammad Saroori and former MP Choudhary Lal Singh also possess substantial resources, although they do notcompare with Singh's wealth.

Saroori, who was a cabinet minister in Omar Abdullah led National Conference-Congress coalition in 2009 has declared assets worth Rs 5 crore, with his wife also possessing gold jewellery.

In his poll affidavit, Saroori has declared an annual income of Rs 7.55 lakh, primarily from his pension as former MLA. His wife, a retired government teacher, has considerable wealth. Saroori's movable assets are valued at Rs 4.44 lakh, including amounts deposited in various bank accounts.

His wife's movable assets are valued at Rs 28.276 lakh, including gold worth over Rs 26 lakh and some deposits in bank accounts. Saroori also possesses a residential house in Srinagar and commercial properties in Jammu and Kishtwar, besides agricultural land, amounting to Rs 5.19 crore. He has no criminal case pending against him and also has no liability.

Lal Singh of Congress earned an annual income of Rs 11.41 lakh in 2013-14, although his recent declaration shows a decline. He declared an income of Rs 4.55 lakh in 2022-23. His wife, also a former legislator, has a yearly income of Rs 16.74 lakh as per the 2022-23 declaration.

She shows her income sources as pension as an MLA, interest from savings, and salary as the chairperson of an educational trust. In terms of liquid assets, he holds Rs 45,000 in cash, while his wife possesses Rs 40,000. They also maintain balances of Rs 26.53 lakh and Rs 73.60 lakh in multiple bank accounts, respectively.

Singh family's property holdings are valued at Rs 4.3 crore. He also mentioned liabilities of Rs 20 lakh in the form of bank loans, while his spouse has a liability of Rs 5 lakh. There are no criminal cases registered against Lal Singh. However, he is being investigated under a Prevention of Money Laundering case registered by the Enforcement Directorate.