SRINAGAR: As the Assembly elections approach, the asset declarations of some candidates reveal significant changes over the past decade. The financial disclosures of several prominent politicians, including Sajad Gani Lone, Muzaffar Hussain Baig, Nizam Uddin Bhat, Ghulam Hassan Mir, and Syed Tajamul Islam, provide insight into their evolving financial statuses.
Sajad Gani Lone, the chairman of the Peoples Conference and a former Minister, is contesting from Handwara. Over the last decade, Lone’s financial situation has worsened. According to his affidavit, his movable assets now total Rs 71 lakh, while his wife owns assets valued at Rs 56 lakh. His annual income has declined from Rs 51.85 lakh in 2019-20 to Rs 37.77 lakh in 2023-24. Notably, Lone’s immovable assets are valued at Rs 11.20 crore, but his liabilities have increased to Rs 6.59 crore due to various bank loans. In 2014, his assets were valued at Rs 13 crore with liabilities of Rs 1 crore, and his annual income was Rs 11 lakh. Lone’s income source is primarily a pension, while his wife has no declared source of income.
Padma Shree Muzaffar Hussain Baig, a senior politician contesting as an Independent from Baramulla, has experienced a complete loss of his assets over the past decade. At 78, Baig’s movable assets are now worth Rs 40.50 lakh, with his wife, Safina Baig, holding assets worth Rs 1.78 crore. Baig’s annual income has decreased from Rs 18 lakh to Rs 15 lakh between 2022-23 and 2023-24. He has no liabilities and lists his pension as his source of income. His wife’s immovable property is valued at Rs 7.55 crore. In 2014, Baig reported assets of Rs 20 crore and liabilities of Rs 1 crore, with an annual income of Rs 13 lakh.
Nizam Uddin Bhat, a politician who migrated from Peoples’ Conference now running on a Congress ticket from Bandipora, has seen a reduction in his annual income from Rs 5.78 lakh in 2020-21 to Rs 4.21 lakh in 2023-24. Bhat’s movable assets are valued at Rs 7.59 lakh, with his wife’s assets at Rs 52,000. His immovable property is worth Rs 22 lakh, while his wife’s assets are valued at Rs 2 crore. Bhat has liabilities of Rs 2 lakh, and his wife holds liabilities of Rs 20 lakh. In 2014, Bhat declared assets of Rs 2 crore with liabilities of Rs 8 lakh, and an annual income of Rs 9.90 lakh.
Ghulam Hassan Mir, an Apni Party leader contesting from Gulmarg, has reported a slight increase in his annual income, rising from Rs 10.80 lakh in 2019-20 to Rs 11.28 lakh in 2023-24. Mir’s movable assets are worth Rs 85 lakh, with his wife holding assets valued at Rs 3.66 lakh. His immovable assets are valued at Rs 3.91 crore, while his wife’s property is worth Rs 4.77 lakh. His sources of income include pension and professional earnings as an advocate. In 2014, Mir declared assets worth Rs 3 crore and an annual income of Rs 10 lakh.
