YSR: Crorepati-turned-Lakhpati!

DESARAJU SURYA
Hyderabad: The opposition parties may have branded him the “richest politician on earth” but Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y S Rajasekhara, by his own submission, has been reduced from a “crorepati” to a “lakhpati” in the last five years that he ruled the state. From Rs 3,02,56,662, his asset value shrunk to a mere Rs 33,33,365 in the last five years, according to the affidavit Rajasekhara Reddy has filed along with his nomination papers for the Pulivendula Assembly constituency in Kadapa district. His wife Vijayalaxmi’s assets too have witnessed a fall in the same period, but to a minor extent: from Rs 1,23,95,321 to Rs 1,01,43,122. According to the Chief Minister’s affidavit, he has only Rs 12,379 in cash, Rs 1,93,797 in bank deposits and savings of Rs 2,43,848. He holds shares and bonds worth Rs 1000 in AP Steels Limited and Rs 1000 in Leasefin India. He possesses gold and diamonds (594.500 grams) worth Rs 13,03,770. His income through claims and interest is Rs 2,02,256. Rajasekhara Reddy holds 39.52 acres of agriculture land in his native Idupulapaya worth Rs 4,78,065 and a residential building in Pulivendula worth Rs 8,97,250. He does not own a car nor does he have any loans or dues, the affidavit says. His wife Vijayalaxmi has Rs 31,069 in cash, two bank deposits worth Rs 40 lakh and 4,54,663, shares in Saraswati Power worth Rs 35.25 lakh, gold and diamonds (581.500 grams) worth Rs 10,57,890 and secures an income of Rs 10,74,500 through claims and interests. She doesn’t own agriculture land, a building or a car. All this is as per the 2009 estimates.
In 2004, Rajasekhara Reddy had Rs 1.10 lakh in cash and Rs 10,972 in bank deposits. He held shares worth Rs 1000 each in AP Scooters, AP Steels, Leasefin India, shares worth Rs 10,000 in Vijayalaxmi Barytes, Rs 12,15,000 in Diamond Softtech Pvt. Ltd, Rs 2,29,002 in Vijayalaxmi India Limited, Rs 10 lakh in Forest Plantation India Pvt. Limited and Rs one lakh in Raja Reddy Estates Pvt. Ltd. (all worth Rs 25,57,002). He had no savings in 2004 whereas he owned a building worth Rs 90 lakh on Road No. 2, Banjara Hills and another worth Rs 30 lakh in Pulivendula. He also owned an Ambassador car and a Tata Sierra which were subsequently sold out. He had 25 acres of agriculture land worth Rs 50 lakh at Settigunta in Railway Koduru mandal of Kadapa district and 6.65 acres of non-agriculture land at Pulivendula. He got Rs 2,13,873 through claims and interests in 2004 and also had a loan of Rs 1,97,900. His wife Vijayalaxmi had Rs 80,000 in cash and no bank deposits. She held shares total worth Rs 42,34,979 in four different companies and had gold worth Rs 25,25,225. She got Rs 15,65,117 through claims and interests and also owned 20 acres of land worth Rs 40 lakh in Pulivendula.