On the face of it, the figure is quite startling by any standards. When an Indian politician, not hailing from Mumbai or Delhi but representing a relatively backward state of Chhattisgarh, declares his moveable and immovable property to be worth Rs 500 crore, it is bound to create ripples. And it is doing so.
Tribhuvaneshwar Saran Singh Deo, 66, a scion of the famous Surguja princely state and leader of Opposition in this BJP-ruled state, has declared, on affidavit, his property to be worth Rs 500 crore, which is Rs 51 crore less than what he had declared in 2013. That year, it was exactly Rs 551 crore.
All this includes his ancestral property, jewellery, land and personal investments in shares and insurance and his own income etc. Surguja's Raghunath Palace, named after his ancestor (Maharaj Bahadur Raghunath Sharan Singh Judeo (1861-1917), and Shivsagar dam area form the major part of the precious immovable property, current value of which stands at Rs 491.42 crore, a family source told the DNA, adding, the depreciation and spendings on maintenance of such large estate makes one bleed heavily, a reason why he declared Rs 51 crore less after five years. He has been spending a lot on people's welfare from his own funds, family sources said.
The Congress candidate for Ambikapur, Singh Deo had worked hard last time and had won by about 20,000 votes. He had also brought Congress very close to power — just one per cent more votes made Dr Raman Singh the CM all over again. From the Surguja district's eight assembly seats, Congress had won seven last time, thanks to his popularity, relentless campaigning and simplicity. But Singh Deo had to be content with the post of Leader of Opposition.
Ambikapur constituency goes to polls on November 20 and TS Baba, or paidalwale Maharaj, as he is popularly known here, is busy on the campaign front. Congress president Rahul Gandhi was in Surguja on Saturday, campaigning for party candidates.
If Congress wins this time in Chhattisgarh, observers believe he is among the front-runners for the chief minister's post. A humble politician with a clean image, he has won twice successfully from this tribal belt, once home to Indian cheetah and a large number of Royal Bengal tiger, besides elephants. Maharaj Surguja, his forefather, had a record of killing a large number of tigers in those days when hunting was allowed. TS Singh Deo's father MS Singh Deo was the chief secretary of the undivided Madhya Pradesh.
With education in Gwalior's Scindia School, Hindu College Delhi and at Hamidia College Bhopal, TS Singh Deo, standing 6 feet and 3 inches, was an athlete of his times and would easily outpace his competitors – something he is doing today in politics as well.
When asked about the massive property he has declared, his brother Aruneshwar Singh Deo says Surguja royal family was a prominent State in the British times and had huge landholdings spread all across the region adjacent to today's Jharkhand and Odisha.
"But after the states were merged with Indian Union, it had become difficult to maintain our own lands due to changing laws and ever-rising costs," Singh Deo said, adding, "our 150-year old sprawling palace is in ruins now, though, by present-day valuation, it is running into crores. He lives in a modest new house built some time ago and leads a spartan life. He wears chappals, replies all the calls on his mobile himself, observes fast twice a week, wears cotton kurta-pyjama and is available to people all the time" he informs.
Not many Congress leaders are known to be leading a simple life. No surprise then TS Baba is a so popular in Chhattisgarh and a tall Congress leader, literally too.
HIS RICHES
- Baba’s brother AS Deo says Surguja royal family was a prominent state in the British times and had huge landholdings
- “Our 150-year-old sprawling palace is in ruins now, though it runs into crores.
- “He lives in a modest house, wears chappals, cotton kurta-pyjama and is available all time,” he says.
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
 "Tribhuvaneshwar Saran Singh Deo")
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}