Jharkhand Assembly Election: Richest candidate has ₹400 crore net worth. Who is he?

Jharkhand Assembly Election: The richest candidate in the Jharkhand assembly election 2024 has declared net worth of about ₹400 crore. The candidate with the lowest assets has declared a net worth of ₹100.

The second phase of Jharkhand Assembly polls for 38 seats is scheduled on November 20. The first phase for 43 seats was held on November 13. The votes of all 81 seats will be counted on November 23 along with that of Maharashtra.

The contest in Jharkhand is between the ruling Jharkhand Mukti Morcha-led INDIA bloc and the Bharatiya Janata Party(BJP)-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA).

In the 2019 Assembly Elections for 81 seats, the JMM emerged as the largest party with 30 seats, while the BJP bagged 25 seats. The Congress won 16 seats, the Jharkhand Vikas Morcha (JVM) got three seats, while All Jharkhand Students Union won 2 seats.

Who is the richest candidate in Jharkhand?

Samajwadi Party's (SP) candiate from Pakur seat, Aquil Akhtar is the richest candidate contesting in upcoming phase 2 voting in Jharkhand, according to election watchdog, Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR).

Akhtar is a former MLA from Pakur seat seat had declared around ₹43 lakh in movable assets for self and another ₹55 lakh for spouse.

He has declared ₹400 crore as immovable assets (self) and another ₹2 crore for his wife in his election affidavit.

Akhtar had declared agri- farming as his profession in the affidavit. His annual income in 2023-24 was ₹13.79 lakh and ₹9 lakh IN 2022-23 and about ₹8 lakh in 2021-22.  Akhtar has two wives – Muslima Khatoon and Ayesha Siddiqua – as per the affidavit.

Former JMM MLA  

He won the assembly election from Pakur seat in 2009 on a JMM ticket. He defeated Alamgir Alam of Congress by over 6000 votes. He contested the 2014 assembly polls again on a JMM ticket. But lost to Alamgir Alam of the Congress this time. In 2019, Akhtar contested as AJSU candidate but lost. Alamgir Alam, the Congress leader, won the seat again. He joined the SP in the run up to 2024 assembly polls in Jharkhand.

Among the immovable assets, Akhtar has declared residential buildings spread over 175,572 square feet of land valued around ₹150 crore and non-agricultural land valued at ₹125 crore in his affidavit. He also owns agricultural land worth ₹125 crore, as per his election affidavit.

Akhtar is followed by Niranjan Rai, independent candidate from Dhanwar seat. Rai has declared assets worth over ₹137 crore. The third in the list is Aazad Samaj Party's (Kanshi Ram) Dhanwar candidate Mohammad Danish, who has declared assets worth over ₹32 crore, the ADR analysis said.

Jharkhand Peoples Party candidate Elian Hansdak, contesting from Maheshpur seat has declared zero assets.

Candidate with ₹100 assets?

Among candidate with lowest assets, Rajeshwar Mahto contesting from Silli seat as an independent candidate has declared ₹100 total assets. Jitender Oraon, another independent candidate from Khijri seat has net worth of ₹ 2,500.

Overall, out of the 522 candidates, 127 (24 per cent) are crorepatis in the second phase of polling in Jharkhand.

Among the major parties 23(72%) out of 32 candidates analysed from the BJP, 18(90%) out of 20 candidates analysed from the JMM, 10(83%) out of 12 candidates analysed from the Congress, 5(83%) out of 6 candidates analysed from AJSU Party, 4(17%) out of 24 candidates analysed from BSP and 2(100%) out of 2 candidates analysed from RJD have declared assets valued more than ₹1 crore.

Kandomani Bhumij, an independent candidate who contested from the Potka (ST) constituency in East Singhbhum district, was the wealthiest candidate in the first phase of Jharkhand assembly election. She had declared total assets valued at ₹80 crore.