Approximately 8,000 candidates have submitted their nominations for the Maharashtra assembly elections, with the wealthiest among them being Parag Shah of the BJP, the current MLA from Ghatkopar East. His reported net worth stands at ₹3,383.06 crore, as per his election affidavit. Mr. Shah’s assets have surged by 575% over the past five years, having declared a worth of ₹550.62 crore during the 2019 assembly elections.
“I am an honest candidate. Even my enemies have never claimed that I am not honest,” Mr. Shah stated in an exclusive interview with NDTV today.
“A man’s wealth is not his property but his feelings,” he continued. “Many people have wealth, but I have the urge to make good use of it. I believe that God has given me everything, the country has given me everything, so I should also give something… I am a leader, a businessman, and also a social worker. I give more than 50 percent of my savings for social service,” he added.
Mr. Shah is the chairman of the MICI Group, which he has been leading for 25 years. Recently, he attracted attention due to a minor illness, which he downplayed, saying, “In politics, if you cough, the other person starts thinking that you have tuberculosis.”
