Azmal richest candidate in fary in first phase polls

Guwahati, Mar 20 (UNI) With the Election Commission (EC) making it mandatory for the candidates to declare their financial details, scrutiny of the nominations filed for the first phase of Asom polls has revealed Badruddin Azmal as the richest candidate in the fray so far.

Mr Azmal, who controls the Ajmal group, is the candidate for Jamunamukh constituency of Asom United Democratic Front (AUDF), a party he founded a few months back.

In the mandatory declaration of assets along with nomination papers, the total estimate of Mr Azmal's property had been put at around Rs 30 crore. The Ajmal Group runs a monopoly business of herbal scent 'Atar' in the Gulf, a much sought after thing is the Muslim world.

A resident of Tanki village in Hojai sub-division of Nagaon district of the state, 48-year-old Azmal accumulated a major portion of his wealth through his business of manufacturing 'Attar'.

He was known in the state to be among the richest persons. With the formal declaration of his assets before the EC, any doubts regarding his financial status were put to rest.

According to the affidavit submitted by Mr Azmal, the property in his name is worth Rs 15,10,08,350.

Of these, cash in hand accounts for Rs 5,40,000, money in bank accounts Rs 8,38,712, post office savings and insurance Rs 5,68,650 and other savings Rs 15,30,200. The prices of the cars in his name amount to Rs 22,38,560, while the value of the 262 grams of jewelry he uses is Rs 1,61,916.

Worth of houses in various locations in Mr Azmal's name has been put at Rs 2.5 crore. Of the total land area of 42 bigha 3 katha in his name, value of agricultural land is Rs 11,83,825 and of non-agricultural land is Rs 66,41,725.

Total investment in share market in Mr Azmal's name is Rs 8,98,262. The property in the name of Mr Azmal's wife Mrs Rizwana had been estimated at Rs 73,97,190.

The EC directive makes in mandatory the declaration of assets of the candidates immediate family members.

Rs 3,64,400 is the amount declared to be cash in hand and Rs 2,50,214 deposited in banks of Mrs Rizwana.

The cars in her name account for Rs 26,43,618 and the agricultural land in her name is valued at Rs 7,61,875. Houses in Mrs Rizwana's name are worth Rs 7,00,000.

She has Rs 20,33,660 invested in shares while she owns 185 grams of jewelry, worth Rs 1,14,243.

Besides the property in Mr Azmal's and his spouse's names, their elder son Abdur Rahman has declared money, including cash in hand and bank deposits, of Rs 37,188 and younger son Abdur Rahim has Rs 26,088.

With such assets in his and family's names, the AUDF candidate has emerged as the richest candidate in the poll race.

UNI SG BA AB 1244