BJP’s Shimla ‘chaiwala’ candidate a crorepati, says ‘don’t discount my struggle’ | Political Pulse News,The Indian Express
Sanjay Sood, candidate from Shima (Urban), says first sold newspapers, than ran tea stall, earned every penny, inherited properties
The BJP candidate for Shimla (Urban) Assembly constituency, who has replaced a four-time MLA in the seat, has been feted by his supporters for the tea outlet he owns at Shimla’s busy Old Bus Stand – clearly hoping to cash in on the ‘chaiwala’ connection to Prime Minister Narendra Modi. However, Sood has come a long way from the time he ran that outlet himself, and now has assets worth around Rs 3 crore.
The affidavit filed by him at the time of his nomination lists his occupation as businessman and social worker, and shows that together with his wife, an advocate, and daughter, he has movable assets worth Rs 1.1 crore and Rs 1.75 crore of immovable assets. The family has land in Sarahan in Shimla district, and at his native place Ram Nagar in Kangra district, bequeathed to him as inheritance, as per his affidavit. They also own property in buildings in Kaithu and in Shimla.
“My political opponents are looking at my property, par unhone mere paaon ke chhale nahin dekhe hain (but they haven’t seen my struggle),” Sood says, adding that he earned every single penny he owns from selling tea and inherited the properties against his name.
Sood also claims he funded his schooling by selling newspapers at the same bus stand where he would later set up a tea stall in 1991. “I would reach the shop at 4 o’clock in the morning and man it till 11 pm.”
All the candidates from Shimla (Urban), in fact, have assets running into crores. While Congress candidate Harish Janartha has declared assets worth Rs 4.51 crore, the Aam Aadmi Party’s Chaman Rakesh Azta’s assets are worth Rs 4.09 crore. The CPI(M)’s Tikender Singh Panwar has declared inherited assets of the value of Rs 2 crore with his wife.
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