Manipur polls: Richest candidate in fray for 1st phase has assets worth Rs 23.59 cr

With assets worth over Rs 23.59 crore, Sapam Nishikant, an Independent candidate from Keishamthong constituency, is the richest in the fray for the first phase Manipur Assembly polls scheduled on February 27.

A businessman by profession, Nishikant has movable assets worth Rs 17.65 crore. This includes Rs 3,00,000 cash in hand, over Rs 47 lakh in eight different accounts, over Rs 6 crore-worth investments in shares, mutual funds among others. He also owns 11 pre-owned vehicles, including four heavy vehicles, a Maruti van worth Rs 3,63,200, one Jeep Compass worth Rs 27,04,740, one Mercedes Benz worth Rs 71,88,403, a Verna car worth Rs 11,86,630 and license pistol. His wife S Anandita has total assets worth Rs 5.70 crore.

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Nishikant has immovable assets worth Rs 5.94 crore most of which are self-acquired properties including a hotel, a local newspaper among others. He has liabilities in the form of government dues of Rs 8.49 lakh and Rs 2.30 crore as loans from banks.  As per the affidavits, the source of income is his business. He was convicted under section 500/501 of IPC in a defamation case of 2013.

The 57-year-old businessman was an aspirant for a BJP ticket from the constituency in Imphal West district. He had joined the BJP in 2019 in New Delhi in the presence of former Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley.