Badruddin Ajmal: The Second Richest Candidate in Assam Assembly Elections

Perfume baron Maulana Mohammed Badruddin Ajmal is the second richest candidate contesting the upcoming Assam elections. The All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF) chief, who is also a former Member of Parliament from Dhubri, is contesting the 9 April assembly poll from the Binnakandi seat in Hojai district.

Ajmal has declared an asset worth about ₹226 crore in the election affidavit. Ajmal is the director of Ajmal Group of Companies, a conglomerate with interests in perfumes, real estate, and other sectors.

The Binnakandi assembly seat did not exist before the 2023 delimitation. The seat, considered Ajmal's family stronghold, was carved out from the old Jamunamukh segment. Binnakandi falls within the Kaziranga parliamentary constituency and has over 2.6 lakh eligible voters.

Of the 722 candidates analysed by the election watchdog Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR), 285, or 39 per cent, are crorepatis in Assam. In the 2021 Assam Assembly Elections, out of 941 candidates, 264, or 28 per cent, were crorepatis. The average of assets per candidate contesting in the Assam Assembly Elections 2026 is ₹3.25 Crores. In the 2021 Assam Assembly Elections, the average assets per candidate for 941 candidates were Rs. 2.10 Crore.

Among major parties, the average assets per candidate for 99 Congress candidates analysed is Rs. 6.92 Crores, 90 BJP candidates analysed is ₹7.01 Crores, and 30 AIUDF candidates have average assets of ₹9.88 Crores, according to ADR. Assam Assembly elections to elect 126 members will be held in a single phase on 9 April. Results will be announced on 4 May.

While Ajmal is the second richest candidate, Rahul Roy, the Congress nominee from the Hailakandi seat, is the wealthiest candidate in this Assam election. Roy, a former MLA, has declared a net worth of ₹261 Crore. Roy did not leave the Congress after his father and former Minister, Gautam Roy, crossed over to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) ahead of the 2021 election. Roy, who contested the 2021 election as an Independent, is the Congress candidate from the Hailakandi constituency this time.

In 2021, the election saw the incumbent Bharatiya Janata Party-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) retain power with 75 seats, marking the first time a non-Congress alliance won consecutive terms in the state. The Mahajot led by the Congress won 50 seats, increasing its tally from 26 in 2016. Himanta Biswa Sarma, a former Congress leader, became the chief minister of Assam.

Movable Assets: The total value of movable assets for Mohammed Badruddin Ajmal is ₹52,43,30,586, while his spouse's total is ₹31,08,764. Cash in hand: Ajmal has declared Rs. 11,32,221 cash in hand. Bank Deposits: ₹9,73,40,089, which includes savings and fixed deposits in banks such as HDFC, ICICI, DCB, IDBI, and SBI. Ajmal's investments (Bonds/Shares) are worth ₹10,89,94,032. This consists of market-valued shares in listed companies (₹2,94,949) and book-valued shares in private firms (₹10,86,99,083), including significant holdings in Ajmal Estates & Properties Pvt. Ltd. and Ajmal Fragrances & Fashions Pvt. Ltd. Personal Loans/Advances: ₹29,79,90,629. This includes capital in firms like Ajmal & Sons (₹9.44 crore) and property advances such as ₹10.53 crore to Awfi Real Estate Pvt. Ltd. Ajmal owns cars which include a BMW M340I Xdrive (valued at ₹81.76 lakh), three Toyota Innova, a Ford Ecosport, and a Maruti Suzuki Gypsy King. He also owns 188.7 grams of gold, valued at Rs. 31,85,822.

Immovable Assets: The total current market value of immovable assets for Mohammed Badruddin Ajmal is ₹1,69,90,97,404, and for his spouse, it is ₹3,65,63,826. Agricultural Land: Market value of ₹55,47,298 for land in Changmagi Pather, Assam. Non-Agricultural Land: Market value of Rs. 1,11,63,50,106. These properties are spread across various locations, including Khandala (Maharashtra), Hojai Town (Assam), and Bangalore Rural (Karnataka). Residential Buildings: Market value of ₹57,72,00,000. Notable properties include, two residential flats at Maker Towers, Mumbai, a flat at Nizamuddin, Delhi, and a flat at Shafi Castle, Mumbai.