Old hand Awana set for poll debut, replaces Surendra SinghNagar

NOIDA: Although he has been associated with Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) for the last 18 years, Satish Kumar Awana will be making his electoral debut in the 2014 general election as the party's candidate from the Gautam Budh Nagar constituency.
The 47-year-old is believed to be close to BSP supremo Mayawati and has replaced Surendra Singh Nagar, the constituency's sitting BSP MP. A Gujjar, Awana enjoys the support of not just his community but of dalits as well.
Awana says that politics has been in his family for several generations. His father and grandfather have served as headman of Harolla village. His brother, Anil Awana, is a member of the Uttar Pradesh legislative council while his wife, Usha Awana, is a GB Nagar zila parishad member. He wants to further Mayawati's ideas of development, education and his promises to the electorate include enhancing the living standards of his constituency's residents.
A businessman by profession, Awana owns shares in 12 private companies. He also owns large chunks of agricultural land. In the affidavit filed with his nomination, he has disclosed that he owns total assets worth Rs 62 crore - Rs 47 crore in movable assets and Rs 11 crore in immovable ones - making him the richest candidate among the top five candidates fielded by major political parties in the fray for the 16th Lok Sabha polls. Awana studied till Class X from Inter College, Gadhi Chokhad, and is a resident of Sector 5.
Awana has had an FIR lodged against him in 2012 at the Sector 24 police station under Sections 420, 467, 504, 506 and 471. He claims the charges are baseless. Awana and his wife have a son and a daughter. Anish, his son, is a businessman while Kajal is a business studies graduate.