Crorepati Stalin has no car

Opposition AIADMK leader J Jayalalithaa may have called the Karunanidhi family the richest in South Asia, but MK Stalin, family member and Tamil Nadu chief minister, claims he does not own a car.

In an affidavit filed before the election commission (EC), Stalin has said together with wife, he owns movable and immovable assets worth only Rs2.63 crore.

Interestingly, the heir apparent to DMK patriarch M Karunanidhi is known for his passion for imported SUVs. “We have not seen him travelling in an Indian car. He drives around Chennai only in imported cars,” a party hopper, who is a car buff, said.

Stalin owns two houses. “The mansion at Teynampet [Chennai] where he stays alone is worth crores. The Range Rover in which he moves around costs over Rs90 lakh,” an auditor said. He pointed out that Stalin’s son Udhayanidhi drives a Hummer, which costs over Rs1.5 crore. The auditor said: “Benami Act has not been fully implemented in the country yet. Politicians continue to buy cars/buildings in other people’s names. EC can do precious little about it.”

He pointed out that MK Alagiri, elder brother of Stalin, had not furnished to EC details of nine acres he bought in Madurai in 2008. “His affidavit before the 2009 Lok Sabha election was silent on this deal,” the auditor said.

Naresh Gupta, former chief electoral officer, agreed there were grey areas in the affidavit law.