Nafisa Ali, the Samajwadi Party's nominee for the Lucknow seat, is wealthier than Congress president Sonia Gandhi and her MP son Rahul Gandhi put together, according to her affidavit filed here Wednesday along with the nomination papers.
As per the affidavit, Nafisa Ali and her husband, an ex-army colonel, together own assets of about Rs.50 million (Rs.5 crores), as against Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi's combined worth of less than Rs.40 million (Rs.4 crores).
However, like the mother-son duo, the former actress and social activist does not own a vehicle, though her husband owns three cars worth about Rs.2 million.
While Nafisa and her husband hold Rs.112,000 in cash, they have about Rs.6.4 million in fixed deposits and about Rs.8 million in shares.
They also hold life insurance policies worth about Rs.500,000, jewellery worth about Rs.1.5 million, paintings and antique furniture valued at Rs.800,000, besides a revolver worth Rs.45,000.
While neither of them own any agricultural land or commercial plot of land, Nafisa Ali owns a house worth about Rs.1.4 million in Nainital. A house in Delhi's upscale Defence Colony in the name of her husband is valued at Rs.20 million and a flat in Gurgaon at Rs.5.2 million.
Wednesday, April 8, 2009
Congress set to win more seats in Maharashtra, Punjab: Survey
The Congress and its allies are expected to win more seats from Maharashtra and Punjab in the Lok Sabha elections, according to an NDTV opinion poll released Wednesday.
The Congress and the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) are likely to win 30 seats in Maharashtra, up from their current tally of 23, while the Bharatiya Janata party (BJP)-Shiv Sena alliance's number is expected to come down from 25 to 18 in the state's 48 seats, the NDTV said in a statement on the poll.
NCP chief Sharad Pawar is the most popular leader in the state, with 28 percent respondents backing him, followed by Sena chief Bal Thackeray (25 percent), former chief minister Vilasrao Deshmukh of the Congress (15 percent) and Maharashtra Navnirman Sena chief Raj Thackeray (12 percent).
While 57 respondents disapproved of the MNS agitation against north Indians in the state, 35 percent termed it as 'right'.
In Punjab, the Congress is predicted to improve its tally from the current two seats to eight while the state's ruling Akali Dal-BJP combine is tipped to see its numbers come down from 11 to five, according to the NDTV-GFK Mode poll.
The Congress and the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) are likely to win 30 seats in Maharashtra, up from their current tally of 23, while the Bharatiya Janata party (BJP)-Shiv Sena alliance's number is expected to come down from 25 to 18 in the state's 48 seats, the NDTV said in a statement on the poll.
NCP chief Sharad Pawar is the most popular leader in the state, with 28 percent respondents backing him, followed by Sena chief Bal Thackeray (25 percent), former chief minister Vilasrao Deshmukh of the Congress (15 percent) and Maharashtra Navnirman Sena chief Raj Thackeray (12 percent).
While 57 respondents disapproved of the MNS agitation against north Indians in the state, 35 percent termed it as 'right'.
In Punjab, the Congress is predicted to improve its tally from the current two seats to eight while the state's ruling Akali Dal-BJP combine is tipped to see its numbers come down from 11 to five, according to the NDTV-GFK Mode poll.
34 Lok Sabha candidates in Andhra have criminal record: Study
As many as 34 candidates from various parties in the first phase of Lok Sabha elections in Andhra Pradesh have criminal records, according to an analysis made as part of a national campaign by NGOs.
The parties fielding these candidates include the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the Congress, Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M), Communist Party of India (CPI) and the Samajwadi Party, the National Election Watch (NEW) said in a statement Wednesday.
NEW represents more than 1,200 NGOs and other citizen-led organisations working on electoral reforms, improving democracy and governance in India.
The first phase of Lok Sabha polls will take place April 16.
'Out of 315 contestants fighting for 22 seats, 34 have pending criminal charges against them, many of them very serious. Candidates with generous means have given transparency a complete go-by by not disclosing their income tax, PAN in the affidavits,' the survey revealed.
'The careful analysis of the affidavits has revealed that a large number of candidates have not given valuations of their assets (like vehicles, gold, land, buildings etc) which is in complete violation of the judgement of the Supreme Court of 2003,' said the statement.
'The number of contestants with assets worth more than Rs.10 millions stands at 64 (out of the 315). This points to a very clear trend of growing money power in politics among parties across the spectrum,' it added.
The parties fielding these candidates include the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the Congress, Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M), Communist Party of India (CPI) and the Samajwadi Party, the National Election Watch (NEW) said in a statement Wednesday.
NEW represents more than 1,200 NGOs and other citizen-led organisations working on electoral reforms, improving democracy and governance in India.
The first phase of Lok Sabha polls will take place April 16.
'Out of 315 contestants fighting for 22 seats, 34 have pending criminal charges against them, many of them very serious. Candidates with generous means have given transparency a complete go-by by not disclosing their income tax, PAN in the affidavits,' the survey revealed.
'The careful analysis of the affidavits has revealed that a large number of candidates have not given valuations of their assets (like vehicles, gold, land, buildings etc) which is in complete violation of the judgement of the Supreme Court of 2003,' said the statement.
'The number of contestants with assets worth more than Rs.10 millions stands at 64 (out of the 315). This points to a very clear trend of growing money power in politics among parties across the spectrum,' it added.
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