Srinagar, Sept 06: As Jammu & Kashmir gears up for the second phase of its assembly elections, the financial affidavits of various candidates reveal a broad spectrum of wealth and income levels.
Key candidates contesting in this phase have disclosed their assets, which provides insight into their financial backgrounds.
Tariq Hameed Karra (Central Shalteng, Congress)
Tariq Hameed Karra, president of the Jammu and Kashmir Pradesh Congress Committee (JKPCC) and a candidate from Central Shalteng, has declared a net worth exceeding Rs 190 crore. According to his affidavit, Karra’s movable assets amount to Rs 3.4 lakh, while his wife holds Rs 40 lakh in assets. His immovable assets are valued at Rs 148 crore, including agricultural land worth Rs 113.47 crore, commercial buildings worth over Rs 9 crore and residential properties valued at more than Rs 25 crore. His income has increased from Rs 2.62 lakh in 2020-21 to Rs 7.77 lakh, with his wife’s income steady at Rs 13 lakh.
Abid Ansari (Zadibal, People’s Conference)
Abid Ansari, a 77-year-old candidate from Zadibal, has reported an increase in income, rising from Rs 10 lakh in 2019 to Rs 28 lakh. His second wife’s income has also doubled from Rs 8.79 lakh to Rs 17.30 lakh. Ansari’s movable assets total Rs 1.47 crore, with his first wife holding Rs 10 lakh and his second wife Rs 34.75 lakh. His immovable property is valued at Rs 38 crore, and his second wife’s assets are valued at Rs 3.20 crore. His sources of income include pension and business, with his second wife being a salaried government employee.
Arif Laigaroo (Habba Kadal, People’s Democratic Party)
PDP’s Arif Irshad Laigaroo, a first-time candidate from Habba Kadal, has reported a drop in annual income from Rs 3.80 lakh in 2021-22 to Rs 2.21 lakh. He has Rs 50,000 in hand, and his wife holds movable assets worth Rs 24.19 lakh.
Gazanfar Ali (Lal Chowk, Awami Ittehad Party)
Gazanfar Ali, former SMC Commissioner and an AIP candidate from Lal Chowk has declared an annual income of Rs 13 lakh. His movable assets total Rs 21 lakh, with his wife holding Rs 28 lakh. His immovable assets are valued at Rs 4.80 crore, with Rs 10 lakh in liabilities. His pension is his primary source of income.
Muzaffar Shah (Habba Kadal, Awami National Conference)
Muzaffar Shah, contesting from Habba Kadal, has reported an annual income of Rs 15 lakh but did not provide past income records. He has Rs 21 lakh in movable assets and his wife’s assets are valued at Rs 50 lakh. His immovable property is worth Rs 10 crore, with a Rs 2 crore liability from a J&K Bank loan.
Ghulam Nabi Lone (Hanjura) (Chrar-e-Sharief, People’s Democratic Party)
PDP’s Ghulam Nabi Lone, contesting from Chrar-e-Sharief, declared Rs 2.22 crore in movable assets and Rs 1.76 crore in immovable property. His wife holds Rs 9 lakh in movable assets. Lone’s annual income increased to Rs 6.55 lakh from Rs 4.75 lakh in 2020-21, with total liabilities of Rs 33 lakh. His primary income source is his pension.
Sarjan Ahmad Wagay (Barkati) (Ganderbal, Beerwah, Independent)
Sarjan Ahmad Wagay, currently jailed and contesting from Ganderbal and Beerwah, reported no annual income. He owns Rs 60 lakh in immovable assets, primarily land.
Sheikh Ashiq (Ganderbal, Awami Ittehad Party)
Sheikh Ashiq, a former KCCI president and AIP candidate running against Omar Abdullah in Ganderbal, saw his income nearly double from Rs 4.80 lakh in 2019-20 to Rs 8.13 lakh in 2023-24. He declared Rs 67 lakh in movable assets and his wife holds Rs 34 lakh. He also owns Rs 95 lakh in immovable assets with no liabilities. His wife, a doctor, has not declared her income.
Ishfaq Ahmad Sheikh (Ganderbal, Independent)
Ishfaq Ahmad Sheikh, running as an Independent from Ganderbal, did not provide income details but declared Rs 75,000 in movable assets, with his wife holding Rs 28.91 lakh. He owns Rs 5 crore in immovable property, with liabilities totalling Rs 5.27 lakh. Sheikh’s pension is his declared source of income.
Ishtiyaq Qadri (Habba Kadal, Awami Ittehad Party)
Ishtiyaq Qadri, an AIP candidate from Habba Kadal, has not reported any income for the past five years, nor has his wife. He declared Rs 10 lakh in movable assets, while his wife holds Rs 8 lakh. He has no immovable assets, but his wife owns Rs 2 crore in immovable property with an Rs 8 lakh liability from a housing loan.
Muhammad Irfan Shah (Central Shalteng, Independent)
Muhammad Irfan Shah, an Independent candidate from Central Shalteng, did not declare his own income but reported that his wife’s income increased from Rs 26 lakh in 2020-21 to Rs 30 lakh. He has Rs 18.40 lakh in movable assets, while his wife’s assets total Rs 30 lakh. Shah owns Rs 4.5 crore in immovable property, with his wife holding Rs 2.5 crore in inherited property. His pension is his declared income source.
For the second phase of polling, which covers 16 seats in Kashmir, 204 nominations have been submitted. Srinagar district saw the highest number of nominations with 112 candidates, followed by 68 in Budgam and 24 in Ganderbal.
