High profile candidates in Punjab may have surprised many while declaring their huge wealth during filing of nominations but some amongst them also owe mammoth amounts of over Rs 10 crore as dues to banks and the government.
Topping the list is Punjab's Deputy Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal who has highest amount of liabilities to the tune of Rs 31.77 crore which he declared in his affidavit, says a report prepared by NGO Punjab Election Watch (PEW) after analysing affidavits of 408 candidates out of 1080 in fray for the January 30 assembly elections in Punjab.
Badal Junior's total dues include bank and other loans amounting to Rs 28.47 crore. Other than this, he also owes Rs 3.28 crore to the Income Tax department, which comes under government dues category.
Interestingly, Badal is at second position in the list of richest candidates having total assets of Rs 90.86 crore.
The report highlights that five candidates have declared liabilities above Rs 10 crore while other five candidates have dues over Rs 3 crore.
Sugar baron Rana Gurjit Singh who is contesting from Kapurthala constituency has total liabilities amounting to Rs 22.62 crore including housing loan raised from Andhra Bank.
Gurjit Singh is also amongst list of richest candidates with assets of Rs 68.48 crore.
With assets worth Rs 78.51 crore, Congress candidate Kewal Singh Dhillon has declared total liabilities of Rs 21.85 crore which comprise housing loan from SBI and other family loan.
Another Congress candidate Arvind Khanna from Dhuri has declared total dues of Rs 20.41 crore which includes loan against property from ICICI Bank and loan and advances from others.
The report points out that 65 per cent of 408 candidates analyzed were having assets over Rs one crore.
If Punjab poll candidates have earned their names in the list of 'Crorepatis', there are almost 20 candidates whose total income is not more than Rs 5 lakh.
BSP candidate from Dera Baba Nanak Prem Masih has declared lowest amount of assets at Rs 1000, followed by Mohinder Singh of CPI candidate from Moga who declared his assets of Rs 10,964.
The report further points out that out of 408 candidates, 61 candidates have declared pending criminal cases against them. Out of 61 candidates, 22 candidates have declared serious criminal cases such as murder, attempt to murder, kidnapping, robbery against them, said Jaskirat Singh, Coordinator of PEW.
Out of 408 candidates, only 29 candidates are women while women candidates on Congress tickets are 10 out of 116, for SAD it is 10 out of 83 seats and for BJP it is 2 out of 21, he said.
