The Trinamool Congress (TMC) on February 11 announced that Sagarika Ghose, a senior journalist and columnist, has been nominated as a candidate for the upcoming Rajya Sabha elections in West Bengal.
The Mamata Banerjee-led party, in a post on X, wrote, “We are pleased to announce the candidature of @sagarikaghose, @SushmitaDevAITC, @MdNadimulHaque6, and Mamata Bala Thakur for the forthcoming Rajya Sabha elections.”
“We extend our heartfelt wishes to them and may they work towards upholding Trinamool’s enduring legacy of indomitable spirit and advocacy for the rights of every Indian,” it further added.
About Sagarika Ghose
Ghose has been a prominent figure in Indian media for many years, having contributed to many news organisations like The Times of India, Outlook, The Indian Express, and CNN-IBN.
With a career exceeding 30 years, she is renowned for her extensive expertise in journalism.
She is also the spouse of renowned journalist and author Rajdeep Sardesai.
Ghose's affidavit reveals huge salaries earned by Rajdeep
As Ghose filed nomination for the Rajya Sabha elections from the TMC, she had to reveal financial details of her and spouse in the election affidavit. The affidavit disclosed the significant salary received by her husband, Rajdeep Sardesai, from India Today for his role as an anchor, even amid the challenging times of the COVID pandemic.
According to the affidavit submitted by Sagarika Ghose, her income was approximately 40 lakh in 2019. In the COVID-affected year of 2021, her earnings declined to 10 lakh, before rebounding to 17 lakh in 2023.
As per the affidavit, Rajdeep Sardesai's income amounted to 4.55 crores in 2019. During the COVID years, his earnings decreased to 2.83 crores and then rose to 3.54 crores in 2023.
Rajdeep Sardesai's overall earnings, with no other publicly acknowledged sources of income, lead to speculation that a significant portion could stem from his salary at India Today Group.
Furthermore, the affidavit discloses that Rajdeep Sardesai possesses nearly Rs 25 crore invested in Mutual Funds, Stocks, and bonds.
Moreover, the residence acquired by the couple in 2008 for approximately Rs 25 crores now holds an estimated paper value of around Rs 49 crores. The property is registered under the name of Sagarika Ghose.
