Rana’s wealth doubles; Gadkari reports ₹3-cr rise
MUMBAI: Affidavits filed by those in the fray for the forthcoming Lok Sabha election from Maharashtra indicate the wealth of nearly all candidates grew over the last five years. Among the more well-known candidates, former actor and BJP’S Amravati contestant Navneet Rana reported a nearly two-fold increase in wealth compared to 2019, while Nitin Gadkari, union transport minister and the BJP candidate from Nagpur, reported a nearly ₹3 crore increase since the last election. Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi (VBA) chief Prakash Ambedkar, who is contesting from Akola, disclosed assets worth ₹6.54 crore, an increase of about ₹70,000 from the declaration in his 2019 affidavit.
A total of 99 candidates are in the fray for the first phase of the election scheduled on April 19. For the second phase on April 26, 352 persons have filed nominations, but the last date for withdrawing candidature is still pending.
According to Rana’s affidavit, his wealth rose from ₹12.46 crore in 2019 to ₹23.38 crore in 2924. She has three flats in her name in Mumbai, including a 653-sqft flat in Goregaon, a 655-sqft flat in Patliputra society in Oshiwara, and a 1581-sqft apartment in Khar. She and her husband jointly own several hectares of agricultural, nonagricultural and commercial land in Amravati worth ₹2.02 crore. They also own four highend vehicles and possess 920gram gold worth ₹8.91 crore.
The actor-turned-politician has lent ₹1.10 crore to Rana Education Society, and ₹50 lakh to her father-in-law Gangadhar Rana, among others. She is an accused in four criminal cases registered in Amravati and Mumbai including for forging her caste certificate and issuing a call to chant the Hanuman Chalisa outside Uddhav Thackeray’s residence.
Union transport minister Nitin Gadkari, BJP’S candidate from Nagpur, has disclosed movable and immovable assets worth around ₹28 crore in the affidavit filed alongside his nomination papers on Wednesday, compared to ₹25.12 crore in 2019. According to the details in his affidavit, his movable assets are worth ₹1.32 crore, his wife’s movable assets are valued at ₹1.24 crore, and their Hindu undivided family holds movable assets worth ₹ 95.46 lakh.
According to Gadkari’s income tax returns for financial year 2022-23, his total income was ₹13.84 lakh, his wife’s income was ₹40.6 lakh, and the Hindu undivided family’s income was ₹8.2 lakh. On the immovable assets front, Gadkari’s properties are worth ₹4.95 crore, his wife’s assets are valued at ₹7.99 crore, while the Hindu undivided family’s assets are worth ₹11.55 crore. Gadkari’s His main opponent, Congress’ Vikas Thakre, has disclosed movable assets worth ₹1.29 crore in his affidavit, while his wife’s assets are worth ₹1.42 crore.
VBA chief and Akola LS constituency candidate Prakash Ambedkar has declared a wealth of ₹6.54 crore in his affidavit, including immovable assets worth ₹4.45 crore. His wealth was ₹5.87 crore in 2019 and ₹3.57 crore in 2014.