Farmers Movement Archive

CM Banerjee more qualified than protégé-turned-adversary Adhikari, earns less

West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee is educationally more qualified than her protégé-turned-adversary Suvendu Adhikari and her annual earning has shot up ten times in the last five years, while Adhikari’s has dropped by a few lakhs, say their affidavits filed with the Election Commission of India.Banerjee, who decided to contest the polls from Nandigram in East Midnapore, filed her nomination on March 10. The BJP has pitted one of its most heavyweight candidates Adhikari against the TMC supremo. Adhikari filed his nomination on Friday.The affidavits show that 66-year-old Banerjee, a resident of south Kolkata, has completed her MA and LLB from Calcutta University. In 2016, when she contested the last assembly polls from Bhabanipur, she had also mentioned in the affidavit about completing BEd and having been trained in work education. Adhikari, who hails from Nandigram, on the other hand, is equipped with a master degree from Rabindra Bharati University.West Bengal is all set to witness one of the most high-pitched poll battles on April 1 when Nandigram goes to polls in the second phase with Banerjee and Adhikari pitted against each other. The crucial state assembly polls will take off on March 27.Also read: 'Save Bengal, don't vote for BJP' Rakesh Tikait appeals to Bengal votersThe affidavit also shows that Banerjee annual earnings have shot up around ten times from ₹1,72,910 in 2015-16 to ₹10,34,370 in 2019-20. Adhikari, however, has shown a decline in his total earning from ₹14,83,730 in 2015-16 to ₹11,15,715 in 2019-20.While Adhikari’s income comes from his business and pension as a former MP, Banerjee said that her sources of income are royalty, bank interest and others.“Banerjee does not take any salary as an MLA or as the state’s chief minister. She was a seven-time parliamentarian but has forgone the pension. She generates her income from royalties of books and music,” said a senior TMC leader.Banerjee has penned more than 100 books in Hindi, Bengali, English and Urdu. While 13 of them were released in the 2020 Kolkata International Book Fair, in the 2019 book fair she had released seven books, while in 2018 she had released nine books,” said a TMC leader.The list of books includes essays, a collection of poems, a set of political writings on current scenarios and books on Urdu shayaris. She has also written books on the uprisings in Nandigram, Singur and on the issue of demonetization.The Bharatiya Janata Party refrained from making any comments on the CM’s earnings.None of the two leaders has ever been convicted in any criminal cases neither any cases are pending against them.Apart from some cash in hand, some bank balance and NSC, Banerjee owns only around 9.75 grams of gold which is worth around ₹43,837 as per the current value. The total worth of her moveable assets is around ₹16 lakhs. She has no immovable assets in her name.Adhikari’s movable assets are worth more than ₹59 lakhs including few lakh deposits in banks, Kisan Vikas Patra, LIC policies and NSC. His immovable assets including agricultural lands and flats are worth around ₹46 lakhs.“In a democracy, it doesn’t matter who is rich or poor or who is more educated and less educated. What matters is how well a leader is accepted by the people and how the leader has performed if he or she is in the government. Mamata’s simplicity is a good political strategy even though the cotton saree which she wears, the sandals and her watch are all costly enough,” said Amal Mukherjee, a political commentator and former principal of Presidency College in Kolkata.Whether it would be Banerjee or Adhikari, who would have the last smile could only be decided on May 2 when the counting of votes takes place.

Hindustan Times

13-03-2021

Kolkata