SRINAGAR: As the party candidates continue filing their nominations, the asset declarations offer ideas about the wealth and assets they own. These bits of information offer details about their experience, and educational backgrounds as well.
Candidates submit their forms in phase-II of assembly elections. Nominations filed yesterday suggest that in Kashmir senior Gujjar leader Mian Altaf’s son, Maher Ali, is the richest from Kashmir and BJP’s Kuldeep Raj Dubey is the wealthiest from Jammu. Mian Altaf is the JKNC’s member of the Lok Sabha.
Kuldeep Raj Dubey, a 67-year-old BJP candidate from Reasi, stands out as the wealthiest among the candidates, with total assets valued at Rs 12.80 crore. Dubey, popularly known as Mangu Shah, has significant investments in various businesses, including Jammu and Kashmir Katha Products and Jupiter Filling Station.
Dubey’s assets comprise Rs 9 crore in movable property, including gold, jewels, and luxury vehicles, and Rs 7.18 lakh in cash. His immovable property, valued at over Rs 3.5 crore, includes Hotel Kashmir Residency in Katra, land at SIDCO Complex Bari Brahmana, and a residential house in Arnas. Despite his wealth, Dubey, who has a middle school education, also bears liabilities of Rs 4.78 crore in the form of bank loans and credits.
Maher Ali, son of Member of Parliament Mian Altaf Ahmad, is another prominent candidate from the National Conference (NC) contesting from Kangan. With an annual income of Rs 24 lakh, Maher possesses Rs 65 lakh in movable property and Rs 4.88 crore in immovable assets, totalling over Rs 5.50 crore.
The fourth generation Mian scion’s assets include self-acquired property worth Rs 2.60 crore and inherited assets valued at Rs 2.28 crore. His wife, with no declared source of income, holds movable assets worth Rs 14 lakh. Maher has also declared a liability of Rs 1 crore in the form of a bank loan. His income sources include stone crushers and private contracts, marking a significant increase from his Rs 6 lakh income in 2020-21.
Mehr Ali’s father, Mian Altaf Ahmad who declared his assets during the Lok Sabha elections early this year disclosed that his taxable income dropped from Rs 9.18 lakh in FY 2018-19 to Rs 7.54 lakh in FY 2019-20, the year Article 370 was abrogated. His income then rose to Rs 10.70 lakh in FY 2020-21, Rs 12 lakh in FY 2021-22, and Rs 21.91 lakh in FY 2022-23. He also declared movable assets worth Rs 38 lakh, immovable assets of Rs 16 lakh, two residential houses, self-acquired assets of Rs 7.24 crore, and ancestral assets of Rs 10 crore.
Qamar Hussain, a former MLA and PDP candidate from Thannamandi, holds assets worth Rs 2.79 crore. A law graduate from Jammu University and a practising advocate, Qamar’s known sources of income are his legal practice and his wife’s salary as a government teacher. His assets include Rs 6 lakh in jewellery, Rs 3.48 lakh in cash, and Rs 5.27 lakh in fixed deposits, alongside immovable property worth Rs 2.65 crore.
Surinder Kumar Choudhary, a former MLC and National Conference candidate from Nowshera, has assets worth over Rs 2 crore. His movable assets include Rs 70.30 lakh in his name and Rs 28.65 lakh in his wife’s name. His immovable assets consist of agricultural land valued at Rs 15 lakh, non-agricultural land worth Rs 9 lakh, and a residential house valued at Rs 95 lakh in Nowshera. Choudhary, who has a 12th-grade education, has liabilities of Rs 56,412, primarily from an outstanding housing loan.
Mubarak Gul, a veteran NC candidate from the Eidgah constituency, has declared a net worth of nearly Rs 7 crore in 2024, up from Rs 4.15 crore in 2014. With an annual income of Rs 20 lakh, Gul’s assets include Rs 2.67 crore in movable property and over Rs 4 crore in immovable property. His wife, who is engaged in business, has a yearly income of Rs 5 lakh and holds assets worth Rs 68 lakh.
Hakeem Mohammad Yaseen Shah, representing the Jammu and Kashmir People’s Democratic Front (Secular) from Khan Sahib, has declared assets worth over Rs 7.05 crore, including movable assets of Rs 5.72 lakh and inherited immovable assets valued at Rs 7 crore. Hakeem, a pensioner with a 12th-grade education, reported a yearly income of Rs 9 lakh in 2024-25, up from Rs 5 lakh in 2019-20.
Zuhaib Yousuf Mir, a first-time PDP candidate from Lal Chowk, holds a degree in Economics from the University of Edinburgh. He has declared assets worth Rs 48 lakh, including 4,050 shares valued at over Rs 40 lakh and 100 grams of gold worth Rs 7 lakh. His wife holds 500 grams of gold worth over Rs 35 lakh. With an annual income of Rs 6.70 lakh, Zuhaib has no immovable property or liabilities.
Jibran Dar, an independent candidate from Chanapora, is a well-known online personality who previously contested the Lok Sabha elections, securing 5,498 votes. He has a B Tech degree from Kurukshetra University and has declared only Rs 30,000 in hand with Rs 2 lakh in liabilities.
Nazir Ahmad Gilkar, a BJP newcomer contesting as an independent from the HabbaKadal seat, has declared assets worth Rs 8 lakh, entirely in movable property, with liabilities amounting to Rs 34 lakh. He has an under-matric qualification and a history of criminal antecedents.
