Anuja Jaiswal,TNN | Mar 23, 2014, 08.39 AM IST

 
Lok Sabha polls: AAP's Soni Sori is the poorest candidate in Bastar
Sori and her nephew, Lingaram Kodopi, were arrested in 2011 for her allegedly acting as a conduit between a business house and Maoists.
RAIPUR: With a bank deposit of a mere Rs 424 and Rs 95,000 collected through donations made for the party, AAP candidate, Soni Sori, an adivasi school teacher from Jabeli village, Dantewada, is the poorest candidate in fray for the crucial Bastar seat that goes to polls in the first phase on April 10.

Sori, who was granted permanent bail by the Supreme Court last month, after almost two-and-a-half years of her arrest, has no immovable properties and the only movable asset that she has is her husband’s Bolero jeep, which too is lying in police custody.

The only other asset she has is Rs one lakh in fixed deposit in the name of her daughter.

Sori and her nephew, Lingaram Kodopi, were arrested in 2011 for her allegedly acting as a conduit between a business house and Maoists, a charge which they deny. She has alleged that she was brutally tortured, both physical and sexually, by the Chhattisgarh police while in custody. In fact she claims that the only reason for her joining politics is to “transform” the system, which caused her immense physical and mental pain.

Interestingly, Soni would also be fighting against her own niece, Vimla Sori, who has been fielded by the CPI. A lawyer by profession, Vimla is the daughter of former CPI legislator late Nandram Sori.

As compared to her aunt, Vimla is slightly better off financially with an annual income of Rs 3.54 lakh, as per her last year’s IT return. She and her husband have movable assets of just over Rs 13 lakh but have no immovable properties in their names.

With assets of nearly Rs 1.60 crore, BJP candidate Dinesh Kahsyap is the richest candidate in fray in Bastar. Kashyap, who has been re-nominated by the party, is a farmer by profession, with a yearly income of Rs 6.73 lakh. Besides cash in hand of Rs 12.96 lakh in his name and Rs 2.64 lakh in wife’s account, the couple has movable 71.05 lakh and immovable properties 72.69 lakh. Kashyap has an outstanding loan of Rs 21.91 lakh.

Samajwadi Party candidate, Shanker Ram Thakur, is the second richest candidate with assets worth Rs 1.31 crore. A farmer and a petrol pump owner, Thakur and his wife have immovable properties worth Rs 81.50 lakh and movable assets of Rs 42.40 lakh.

Congress candidate Deepak Karma, son of slain party leader and Salva Judum founder, Mahender Karma, has assets worth only Rs 24.64 lakh. A farmer by profession, Karma has a yearly income of Rs 8.78 lakh. He only has agricultural land worth Rs 10 lakh.

Read mor ehere — http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/home/specials/lok-sabha-elections-2014/news/Lok-Sabha-polls-AAPs-Soni-Sori-is-the-poorest-candidate-in-Bastar/articleshow/32530105.cms

 

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