Madhya Pradesh's political heavyweights have taken the electoral plunge. On Tuesday, BJP's Jyotiraditya Scindia from Guna and Congress' Digvijay Singh from Rajgarh filed their nominations. Previously, Congress leader Kamal Nath's son Nakul Nath had submitted his candidacy from Chhindwara. Let’s delve into the wealth declared by these three prominent leaders in their affidavits submitted for the elections.
It's worth noting that in Madhya Pradesh's politics, especially during the 2018 Assembly elections, a remarkable alliance was witnessed among these three stalwarts (Kamal Nath, Digvijay, and Jyotiraditya) which led Congress to a victory after 15 years. However, the government fell short of a 15-month tenure and collapsed in March 2020 following Scindia's resignation from Congress, triggering a political flip as he joined BJP along with over 20 legislators.
Who's contesting from where?
For the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, BJP has nominated Scindia from his traditional seat of Guna-Shivpuri. Scindia filed his nomination papers on Tuesday with grand fanfare. Prominent BJP figures including CM Mohan Yadav, former CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan, state president VD Sharma, and Narottam Mishra marked their presence at his campaign rally. On the same day, Congress' Digvijay Singh also lodged his nomination from the Rajgarh seat. Earlier, Nakul Nath had filed his nomination papers from Chhindwara. All three leaders have declared their assets to the Election Commission in their affidavits.
Scindia's assets amount to ₹424 Crore
In the ongoing Lok Sabha elections, nomination filer Jyotiraditya Scindia from Madhya Pradesh has emerged as the second wealthiest candidate. He possesses a cumulative wealth of around Rs 424.77 crore (including assets held by his spouse, dependents, and the HUF). Of this, he has Rs 4.64 crore in movable assets and Rs 35.53 crore in immovable properties. His wife, Priyadarshini Raje Scindia, holds movable assets worth Rs 14.18 crore. The ancestral assets (in the name of Jivaji Rao Scindia) consist of Rs 56.29 crore in movable assets and Rs 326 crore in immovable assets. Scindia's daughter Ananya Raje owns movable assets valued at Rs 1.49 crore.
Scindia owns a 1960 model BMW Isetta car
Scindia informed the Election Commission that he owns the palatial Jai Vilas Palace, the ancestral home of his Gwalior royal family. He further disclosed possession of a heritage car, a 1960 model BMW Isetta. There are no criminal cases registered against Scindia. However, there are ongoing civil disputes related to the family's properties, under consideration in Gwalior District Court, Pune District Court, and Bombay High Court.
Scindia's income has declined in five years
Scindia also publicized details of his income over the past five years, reporting an increase in his assets by Rs 50.21 crore. However, there has been a decrease in his income. The highest annual income declared by Scindia over the past five years was Rs 1.65 crore during the financial year 2019-2020. Scindia, his wife, and daughter hold Rs 25,000, Rs 20,000, and Rs 5,000 in cash respectively. His primary sources of income are his salary as a parliamentarian and rental income.
Scindia's Income Over the Past 5 Years
Digvijay's assets total ₹50 Crore
Former Chief Minister Digvijay Singh, contesting from Rajgarh Lok Sabha seat with a Congress ticket, has declared total assets (including those of his wife and HUF) worth Rs 50 crore. His wife Amrita Singh's assets exceed Rs 9 crore. Together, they have a combined wealth of Rs 59.12 crore, including Rs 37.79 crore in immovable properties and Rs 12.33 crore in movable properties. Digvijay's wealth has increased by Rs 21.05 crore over the past five years. He reported an income of Rs 22.33 crore in the fiscal year 2022-23, while his wife Amrita Singh's income was Rs 98 lakh during the same period. Digvijay has Rs 647,228 in cash, and his wife has Rs 52,500.
Digvijay's bank accounts hold Rs 13,06,599 while the ancestral bank accounts contain Rs 12.91 lakh. His personal movable assets amount to Rs 3.52 crore with a total wealth of Rs 8.78 crore. There are no cars registered in his name, but his wife owns a farm worth over three and a half crore rupees.
Digvijay faces 11 cases across India
Digvijay disclosed various ongoing criminal and civil cases against him in multiple states, including Madhya Pradesh. There are 4 cases pending in Bhopal, 2 in Hyderabad, and one each in Bihar, Indore, and the Punjab-Haryana High Court. Notably, Ujjain Sessions Court sentenced him to one year in a battery case, but the High Court has granted a stay. Voting for Rajgarh and Guna Lok Sabha seats is on May 7th.
Digvijay's Income Over the Past 5 Years
Nakul Nath's assets are worth ₹649 Crore
Nakul Nath, son of former CM Kamal Nath, contesting from Chhindwara seat, is the wealthiest candidate, with assets amounting to Rs 649.52 crore. This includes shares in various companies, mutual funds, fixed deposits, and savings. He reported an annual income of over Rs 12 crore. He also holds immovable properties worth Rs 48 crore. His wife Priya Nath owns assets totaling more than Rs 19.20 crore. Their combined wealth is Rs 668.72 crore. Nakul Nath has 12 bank accounts, including 8 in India and 4 in Bahrain. His wife Priya Nath has 15 bank accounts, 7 in India and 8 overseas, in Bahrain, Singapore, and Malaysia. Nakul Nath does not own a car. On reaching the Parliament in 2019, he was the wealthiest MP, with over Rs 600 crore in movable assets at the time.
Also read: VIP Candidates From MP and UP Register Their Nominations
How much diamond and jewelry do Nakul and his wife have?
Nakul Nath possesses 1896.669 grams of gold jewelry, 7.630 kilograms of silver, and 147.58 carats of diamonds, among other precious stones, valued over Rs 2 crore. Additionally, he owns a painting worth Rs 6.46 crore and has advanced over Rs 4 crore for the purchase of a flat. His wife Priya Nath holds 850.660 grams of gold jewelry, 881.31 carats of diamonds, and other precious gems valued at Rs 2.75 crores. She has also offered advances totaling Rs 1.05 crores.
Nakul owns a Rs 45 crore bungalow in Delhi
Aside from owning agricultural land worth Rs 2.92 crore in Chhindwada, Nakul Nath also possesses a bungalow in Panchsheel Park, Delhi, valued at Rs 45.15 crore. Despite his affluence, he does not own a car. Moreover, there are no criminal cases registered against him. Voting for the first phase in Chhindwada is on April 19th, and the election campaigning will cease at 5 pm today.
Who is competing against whom?
In Chhindwada, Nakul Nath faces the BJP candidate Vivek aka Bunty Sahu. In Rajgarh, Digvijay is up against incumbent BJP MP Rodmal Nagar. While in Guna, BJP's Scindia will compete against Congress candidate Rao Yadavendra Singh, son of three-time BJP MLA Rao Deshraj Singh, who switched to Congress just before last year's assembly elections.
