With ₹238-cr assets, AAP’s Kulwant richest in poll fray

CHANDIGARH: Realty baron Kulwant Singh, contesting on an Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) ticket from SAS Nagar (Mohali), is the richest candidate in the fray for the February 20 elections in Punjab.

Kulwant, who is fighting his first assembly election, has assets worth Rs 238 crore. The businessman-turned-politician has, along with wife, declared movable assets totalling Rs 203.88 crore – mostly investments in Janta Land Promoters Limited (JLPL) that he heads. The real estate firm has multiple residential and commercial projects in Mohali and Ludhiana. The immovable assets, mostly non-agricultural land and residential properties in Mohali, have current market value of approximately Rs 34 crore.

The former mayor, a matriculate from the Punjab School Education Board, has topped the contestants for the 117 assembly seats in the state, according to an analysis done by Hindustan Times of the election affidavits submitted by them to poll authorities along with their nomination papers.

SAD president and former deputy chief minister Sukhbir Singh Badal, who, along with his wife, Bathinda MP Harsimrat Kaur Badal, has declared assets worth Rs 202.64 crore, comes next in the list of 10 wealthiest contestants that also includes his brother-in-law Adesh Partap Singh Kairon, and estranged cousin and finance minister Manpreet Singh Badal.

Karan Kaur Brar, daughter-inlaw of former chief minister Harcharan Singh Brar, is at number three. She was the wealthiest candidate in 2012.

Cabinet minister Rana Gurjeet Singh, who was the richest contestant in the 2017 assembly elections, and his son Rana Inder Pratap Singh also feature on the rich list. Rana Gurjeet is the Congress candidate from Kapurthala, whereas Rana Inder is contesting as an Independent from Sultanpur Lodhi.