Maharashtra Lok Sabha Election 2024: Nitin Gadkari’s Income Increases From Rs 2.66 Lakh to Rs 6.4 Lakh

Union Minister Nitin Gadkari's nomination affidavit shows serious discrepancy as it professes him to be an agriculturist, despite a significant surge in his income. According to data from the National Sample Survey Organisation, the averagge income of farmer families has seen a gradual rise from Rs. 74,925 annually in 2012-13 to Rs. 1,22,616 annually in 2018-19.

Contrastingly, Gadkari's income trajectory paints a starkly different picture. Between 2013 and 2019, his income skyrocketed from Rs. 2,66,390 to Rs. 6,40,700, marking a staggering surge of 140 per cent. Moreover, during the same period, his spouse Kanchan Gadkari's income witnessed an exponential rise from Rs. 4,69,380 in 2013-14 to a staggering Rs. 39,42,310 in 2017-18. It is noteworthy that Kanchan Gadkari's profession remains undisclosed in any of the affidavits. In the 2007 affidavit, Kanchan Gadkari’s income was Rs. 52,763. 

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It is also worth noting that Gadkari’s income stood at Rs. 44,019 in 2007 when he won the seat in the Maharashtra Legislative Council. In the latest affidavit he filed, his income stands at Rs. 13,84,550. This accounts for a 3045 per cent or 30 times rise in income.

Further scrutiny reveals fluctuations in Gadkari's household income (Hindu Undivided Family), which surged from Rs. 8,53,400 in 2013 to Rs. 10,47,400 in 2016, only to fall to Rs. 8,75,380 in 2017-18. So, the total income for Gadkari’s family stands at 15,89,170 in 2013-24 and Rs. 54,58,390 in 2017-18. This is a surge of 243.47 per cent. Besides, the Gadkaris purchased five luxury cars Mahindra, Isuzu, Maruti, Innova and Honda between 2015 to 2018, worth Rs. 46,66,609. This amount can easily purchase four 56 Horsepower tractors from Mahindra. Yet the agriculturist family purchased no farm-related vehicles in the said period. 

These revelations raise questions about Gadkari's portrayal as an agriculturist and the significant disparities between his income and the average income of agricultural households, particularly in Maharashtra. While the minister's affidavit claims an affiliation with agriculture, his financial status tells a different story.

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Moreover, the Situation Assessment Survey (SAS) of Agricultural Households conducted by the National Statistical Office (NSO), Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI) during the 77th round (January 2019- December 2019) highlights that the average monthly household income of agricultural families in Maharashtra stands at Rs. 11,492, translating to an annual household income of approximately Rs. 1,37,904. This discrepancy prompts a call for further investigation into the accuracy and integrity of declaration affidavits by public officials.