Chief Minister Buddhabeb Bhattacharjee is worth Rs 5,000 if one discounts the wealth of his wife, according to his declaration on Tuesday. All of the Rs 5,000 is in cash; his declaration shows nothing else in his name. The rest of their assets, totalling Rs 46 lakh, belongs to his wife Mira.
Buddhadeb, who filed his nomination for the Jadavapur seat, showed an income of a little over Rs 1 lakh in 2009-10. His wife?s income tax returns showed Rs 6,70,135. Mira Bhattacharjee retired as a senior manager from a private sector unit and now works as its adviser.
The assets declared in her name include a flat worth Rs 15 lakh, bought at Rs 6.39 lakh a few years ago. The 720-square-foot flat is in New Town. The remaining Rs 31 lakh is in movable property: cash, savings and jewellery worth Rs Rs 1.54 lakh.
Buddehadeb, 67, who graduated with honours in Bengali from Presidency College, mentioned his profession as ?Whole Timer of Communist Party of India?. The Chief Minister lives in a rented flat in a government housing estate at Palm Avenuein Kolkata.
The Chief Minister arrived at the office of returning officer Sadar Tanvir Ahmed, SDO of Alipore, shortly after noon. He was accompanied by his election agent Bikash Rajnan Bhattacharya, former Kolkata Mayor, and CPM leader Sujan Chakraborty and submitted four sets of papers.
Buddhadeb, the sitting MLA, is pitted against former Chief Secretary Manish Gupta, fielded by the Trinamool Congress. The constituency will go to polls on April 27 in the third phase. The third phase will cover 75 constituencies in Kolkata, North-24 Parganas and South-Parganas districts. The last date for filing nominations is April 9, with scrutiny on April 11 and withdrawal allowed till April 13.
Buddha too will walk
So far, Mamata Banerjee has gone on padayatra after padayatra while Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee has been rooted to his constituency. Now, he will try and match her with a roadshow of his own.
7 km from Jadavpur police station to Sonarpur on Saturday. Buddhadeb will walk part of the route and follow the processionists in an open jeep later.
12 km from Gariahat to Garia. Mamata has already walked through Buddhadeb?s constituency. This was on Sunday, along with former Chief Secretary Manish Gupta, her candidate against Buddhadeb in Jadavpur.
5 roadshows by Mamata so far. Apart from Jadavpur, she has walked Joka to Behala, Rajabazar to CIT Road, Tallah Park to Phoolbagan, and Ekbalpur to Metiabruz, crisscrossing the entire city.
15 rallies by Buddhadeb so far. All of these have been from the stage.
?No question of CM taking a leaf out of Mamata?s book. On the contrary, it is Mamata who is following in the footsteps of CPM which had in the past organised huge processions on issues of public importance, in some of which Buddhadeb took a leading part?
Robin Deb, CPM
Campaign manager, Jadavpur
1977-2006 During Left rule, every Assembly election in Jadavpur won by CPM
2009 Lok Sabha election upset in Jadavpur by Kabir Suman of Trinamool Congress
I hereby declare
Buddhabeb
Bhattacharjee
CPM
Constituency:
Jadavpur, West Bengal
Total worth
Rs 46,20,833.15
R 5,000 Buddhadeb
R 46,15,833.15 Mira Bhattacharjee
Movable assets
R 31,20,833.15 total
R 5,000 self
R 31,15,833.15 wife
Cash in hand
R 5,000 self
R 7,600 wife
Deposits
R 29, 53,988.15 wife
Jewellery
R 1,54,245 wife
Immovable assets
R 15,00,000
A 720 sq ft flat at New Town, in wife?s name; family lives in a govt housing flat
Income last year
R 1,00,920 self
R 6,70,135 wife
