Gurwinder Singh Oberoi, the National Conference (NC) candidate on a safe seat, has emerged as the richest among the seven contenders for the four Rajya Sabha seats from Jammu and Kashmir, elections for which are scheduled on October 24.
According to the affidavits filed by the candidates—four from the NC and three from the BJP—Oberoi, who holds a Diploma in Hotel Management from Srinagar, owns movable and immovable assets worth over Rs 50 crore. His declared properties include flats in Delhi and Greater Noida, while his spouse holds movable assets worth Rs 82.93 lakh. Oberoi also has liabilities, including loans, amounting to Rs 6.56 crore.
BJP's nominee is poorest among all seven candidates
In sharp contrast, BJP's Dr. Ali Mohammad Dar, a Bachelor of Unani Medicine and Surgery (BUMS) degree holder, is the least wealthy among the contestants. He declared only Rs 62,000 in cash and movable assets worth Rs 12.5 lakh in his wife's name, including 100 grams of gold.
BJP has nominated Dr. Dar for the seat for which elections will be held under notification number one, so his defeat is certain due to numbers in the Legislative Assembly.
Former minister and NC candidate Chowdhary Mohammad Ramzan owns movable property worth Rs 26.92 lakh and immovable assets valued at Rs 7.81 crore, primarily derived from agricultural land, orchards, and a shopping complex. His wife's assets include Rs 50.34 lakh in movable property and Rs 4.06 crore in immovable property. Ramzan is a science graduate and holds an LLB (Honours) from ILS, Pune.
Another NC nominee, former minister Sajjad Ahmad Kichloo, is also among the wealthiest contestants. He declared immovable property worth Rs 21.41 crore and movable assets of Rs 43.77 lakh. His spouse owns movable property of Rs 1.31 crore and immovable assets worth Rs 4.62 crore. Their three children collectively possess movable assets exceeding Rs 89 lakh. Kichloo's educational qualification is 10+2.
The NC's fourth candidate, Imran Nabi Dar, a postgraduate in Mass Communication and Journalism, declared movable property worth Rs 1.49 lakh and immovable assets valued at Rs 3.11 crore. His wife owns movable assets of Rs 19.36 lakh and immovable property worth Rs 30 lakh.
From the BJP, state president Sat Sharma, a chartered accountant and science graduate from the University of Jammu, declared movable assets worth Rs 86.05 lakh and immovable property valued at Rs 1.07 crore. His wife owns immovable assets worth Rs 21.09 lakh.
Another BJP nominee, businessman Rakesh Kumar Mahajan, holds movable assets worth Rs 2.40 crore and immovable property valued at Rs 31.28 crore. His spouse possesses movable property of Rs 1.84 crore and immovable assets worth Rs 4.40 crore. Sharma, who is a Higher Secondary Part-I pass, has liabilities of Rs 1.39 crore in his name and Rs 80.27 lakh in his wife's name.
NC has an edge on three of the total four Rajya Sabha seats
In the 90-member Jammu and Kashmir Assembly, the NC and Congress together command a strength of 48 members (NC 42 and Congress 6). With the support of five Independents and the CPI(M), the alliance enjoys the backing of 53 members. The BJP has 28, the PDP 3, and the AIP, PC, and AAP one each. The People's Conference has opted out of the voting.
With the effective strength of the Assembly reduced to 88—following the death of one BJP MLA and the vacancy of the Budgam seat earlier held by Chief Minister Omar Abdullah—the NC appears well-positioned to win three of the four Rajya Sabha seats. The fourth seat is expected to witness a close contest between the NC and the BJP.
