BJP candidate from Inderpuri slum a ‘lakhpati’

New Delhi: BJP candidate Sunita Kaushik, who had hosted the party’s Delhi unit chief Manoj Tiwari during his night slum tour, has — according to her election affidavit for the upcoming civic polls — two houses and jewellery worth Rs 90 lakh.

Mr Tiwari had first met Ms Kaushik during his New Year’s eve tour of Inderpuri slum in West Delhi. Impressed by her upfront answer, he had ensured that she got ticket from the Inderpuri ward.

“I saw pain in her eyes as she told me that politicians do not listen to them,” the Delhi BJP president had said about his interaction with her.

In an affidavit submitted to the State Election Commission along with her nomination paper, Ms Kaushik disclosed that she owns two buildings measuring 720 square feet and 553 square feet at Dasghara. Their market prices are Rs 50 lakh and Rs 32 lakh, respectively. Her husband, Shashi Bhushan, also owns property worth Rs 10 lakh. The couple has jewellery and bullions worth Rs 7 lakh. Ms Kaushik’s share in it is worth Rs 6 lakh.

The affidavit also revealed that she and her husband have Rs 1,35,000 in cash. But the couple has bank deposits of less than Rs 2,000.

Mr Tiwari had started his series of slum visits after taking charge as the Delhi BJP president. On New Year’s eve, he had spent time with the residents of Todapur slum in Inderpuri. Ms Kaushik had told Mr Tiwari during an interaction that politicians never listen to poor people, hearing which he had promised a solution to her.

His slum visits, undertaken as a part of his “reality check” on the development of unauthorised colonies and slums under the AAP government, has led to his party’s focus on the residents of these parts of the city in view of the MCD polls on April 23.