BJP’s Manoj Tiwari Richest Lok Sabha Contender In Delhi

New Delhi:  Bhojpuri singer-turned-politician Manoj Tiwari (53) is the richest among the prominent candidates from the BJP, AAP and the Congress in fray for the Lok Sabha elections in Delhi with total assets worth Rs 28.05 crore.

Second in line is Ramvir Singh Bidhuri (71), the BJP’s candidate in South Delhi, with total assets of Rs 21.08 crore. According to his 2022-23 Income Tax returns, Bidhuri had an income of Rs 14.93 lakh.

The third richest among poll contenders is Mahabal Mishra (69), the AAP’s candidate from West Delhi. He has declared Rs 19.93 crore. Mishra’s highest qualification is pre-university certificate from LS College Muzaffarpur, Bihar obtained in 1971.

Oxford-returned lawyer Bansuri Swaraj (40), daughter of former external affairs minister late Sushma Swaraj, with total assets worth Rs 19 crore, stands fourth in the row, followed by former AAP leader Raaj Kumar Anand who jumped ships to the BSP and owns assets worth Rs 17.87 crore.

Ms Swaraj, who is the BJP’s debutant contender from the New Delhi seat, owns two vehicles, including the high-end Mercedes Benz purchased in 2023, according to her self-sworn affidavit.

She possesses one-sixth of joint property in Palwal, Haryana valued at Rs 99.34 lakh and three flats in Delhi’s posh areas — two at Jantar Mantar and one at Hailey Road.

In her election affidavit, Ms Swaraj revealed her income at Rs 68.28 lakh in her Income Tax return filed for the year 2022-23.

She is a lawyer by profession who earned her Barrister-at-Law from Inns of Inner Temple, London, in 2007 and completed Master of Studies from St Catherines’s College, University of Oxford, in 2009.

Mr Tiwari, who is contesting from the North East Delhi seat from the BJP third time in a row, declared his income to be Rs 46.25 lakh in his Income Tax returns filed for 2022-23. He stated that his sources of income are singing and acting, and as an MP.

He completed BA (Honours) from the Banaras Hindu University (BHU) from where he also did a masters in physical education in 1994.

Mr Anand is the BSP’s candidate from the high profile New Delhi seat. He declared in his poll affidavit that he has vehicles worth Rs 51 lakh including that of his wife.

Congress’ Kanhaiya Kumar from North East seat contesting against Tiwari has a total asset of Rs 10.65 lakh. He has a PhD from JNU that he completed in 2019.

BJP’s Kamaljeet Sehrawat from West Delhi seat declared her movable assets worth Rs 1.30 crore and immovable assets worth Rs 27.60 lakh in her poll affidavit. She is a Masters in Commerce from Himachal Pradesh University, Shimla.

Praveen Khandelwal (64), the BJP’s Chandni Chowk candidate, declared assets worth Rs 6.62 crore. According to his Income Tax returns of 2022-23, he had an income of Rs 4.56 lakh. He completed his graduation from Delhi University’ Ramjas College.

Udit Raj (66), the Congress’ North West Delhi candidate, completed his MA from Osmania University in 1988 and LLB from MMH College, CCS University, Meerut, in 1995. He received an honorary doctorate from Bible College and Seminary, Kota, in 2003.

He has shown an income of about Rs 1 crore in his 2022-23 Income Tax returns. He has movable assets worth Rs 5.54 crore.

Rajan Singh (26), the first third gender candidate in the Lok Sabha polls in Delhi, also filed his papers from the South Delhi seat. His election affidavit shows Rs 1 lakh cash in hand and total movable assets worth Rs 15.10 lakh, including 200 grams gold and about Rs 10,000 in a bank account.

Mr Singh declared no immovable assets in his poll affidavit.

Kuldeep Kumar (35), the AAP’s candidate from East Delhi, has declared movable assets of Rs 21.41 lakh and no immovable assets. He is a dropout from Delhi University’s Shyam Lal College.

Congress’ J P Agarwal (79) is a veteran Congress leader fielded from Chandni Chowk. He has total moveable assets worth Rs 76.98 lakh and immovable assets worth Rs 1.78 crore. He completed his graduation from Delhi University’s Hansraj College in 1964.

Harsh Malhotra, 60, stated in his affidavit that his total assets stood at Rs 3.75 crore and his source of income is printing business. The East Delhi BJP candidate is a law graduate from the Delhi University.

Sahi Ram, aged 63, is an MLA from Tughalaqbad constituency. He declared in his affidavit that his main source of income was his salary and allowances as MLA, interest on savings account and rent. According to his affidavit, Ram owns movable assets of Rs 34.80 lakh and Rs 1.04 crore as immovable assets.

Yogender Chandoliya, the BJP’s North West Delhi candidate, graduated with a BA (Political Science and History) degree from Subharti University in Meerut in 2022, according to his election affidavit.

The 61-year-old showed an income of Rs 3.83 lakh in his Income Tax returns filed for 2022-23. His movable assets are worth Rs 29.31 lakh and those of his wife Rs 31.92 lakh, the affidavit showed.

Mr Chandoliya owns a third of a joint family property in Raigar Pura that has a current market value of Rs 2.15 crore. He and his wife also own separate vehicles.

Delhi will go to polls in the sixth phase on May 25, with counting to take place on June 4.

The scrutiny of the filed nomination papers will be held on May 7, while the last date to withdraw names is May 9.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)