Mumbai:
Ahead of the Mumbai civic polls, a closer look at the personal wealth of several corporators in the country's richest municipal body reveals some staggering figures. The personal wealth of the corporators has skyrocketed in the past few years, with some getting richer by 400 per cent, while others showing a mind-boggling 4000 per cent increase.
The figures were revealed after the candidates declared their wealth in the affidavit ahead of the February 16 Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) elections.
Mumbai mayor Shradha Jhadav's assets, which were worth Rs. 65 lakh in 2007, are worth over Rs. 3.4 crore today.
"My income has not gone up after becoming corporator. My father-in-law has a business and it has gone up because of that," says Shradha Jhadav, who belongs to the Shiv Sena, trying to explain the 400 per cent jump in her assets.
In 2007, BJP corporator Bhalchandra Shirsat's moveable assets were valued at Rs 1.7 lakh. Five years later, he is worth 75 lakhs.
Holding the inflation responsible for his good fortune, Shirsat says, "What was worth lakhs then is worth crores now. I thank the Congress for this inflation."
"My income has not gone up after becoming corporator. My father is law has a business and it has gone up because of that," Mumbai's mayor Shradha Jhadav, who belongs to the Shiv Sena, said. Her assets have jumped by 400 per cent.
"These affidavits are signed by the candidates themselves. If the Income tax department finds anything wrong they should investigate the case suo-moto," Ajit Ranade, member of Association of Democratic Reforms said.
Set to begin on February 16, the BMC civic elections are one of the most expensive civic polls conducted in the country. With so much money riding on the polls, the corporators will require some sound arguments to explain the shocking rise in their personal incomes.