Style, zeal & acumen, Lucknow Cantt seat contenders have it all

LUCKNOW: From a collector of classic watches and antique paintings to a man with passion for hot wheels; from a third-generation soldier and patriot to a real estate hawk; and, of course, the seasoned politician — it is an intriguing assortment of candidates for the upcoming bypoll to the Lucknow Cantonment assembly seat.


The BSP has fielded Arun Dwivedi (65) who has a fetish for Rolex and Cartier watches. He had bought his first Rolex in 2002 and his most expensive buy is a Cartier, bought for Rs 4 lakh this year.

“I was in Class VIII when my elder brother gifted me a watch for a school photo-op. I have been in love with the tick-tock on my wrist ever since,” said Dwivedi whose five top brand watches are worth Rs 10 lakh.

The man, who owns a construction business, also collects paintings and vintage cars. He has six paintings, including a handmade antique worth Rs 3 lakh and a

Thanjavur

. His fleet of seven four-wheelers includes three Mercedes. He has a 1927 Ford and a 1967 Mercedes. With a net worth of Rs 22.24 crore, Dwivedi is the richest candidate from the seat. This is his second time in the poll fray. In 2012, he had contested from Lucknow North seat, but lost. Election first-timer Dilpreet Singh (33), roped in by the Congress, shares Dwivedi’s love for cars. He has had eight since 2007. Currently, he owns three cars, including a BMW bought in 2016.

“I was crazy about cars since I learnt driving at 15. My first car was a modest Santro, bought in 2007,” said Singh who runs his family’s real estate business and is worth Rs 2.72 crore. “I am in the fray to serve the people. Mahatma Gandhi’s autobiography, ‘The Story Of My Experiments With Truth’, is an inspiration,” he added.

Samajwadi Party candidate Major Ashish Chaturvedi (44) is a third-generation armyman. Chaturvedi owns two cars and is worth Rs 81.32 lakh. BJP’s pick Suresh Chandra Tiwari won this Cantonment seat thrice in 1996, 2002 and 2007. Rita Bahuguna Joshi defeated him in 2012 on a Congress ticket. She was, however, elected BJP MP from Allahabad this year.


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