Daijiworld Media Network - Bengaluru (DC)

Bengaluru, Apr 22: A crorepati former tea seller from Bengaluru has plunged into electoral arena by contesting as independent candidate from Bommanahalli constituency in Bengaluru in the upcoming assembly polls.

The 42-year-old P Anil Kumar, who submitted his nomination, is the richest independent candidate owning assets worth Rs 339 crore. Kumar also owns a fleet of 16 cars.

Kumar hailing from Kerala moved to Bengaluru at the age of 11 in 1985. His mother too used to odd jobs cleaning and washing utensils in nearby houses. She would feed the three children first with whatever she gets, says a teary-eyed Kumar talking about his early struggle. Kumar due to poverty could not pursue his academics too.

During his early days in Bengaluru, Kumar slept in front of closed shops at night. After being jobless for many days, he was offered a job to carry mangoes from one place to another by a man in his shop. Later on he started selling tea at small companies and later, during the IT boom in the 1990s, at software companies and big showrooms. Slowly and steadily he expanded his business of selling tea.

His life changed post his marriage after he bought a plot in Bengaluru to build a house of his own. Later he sold the same plot for double the price and it was a breakthrough into the world of real estate yielding high returns.

He started buying small plots and sold them for higher price in the late 90s. In a short span of 6 years he earned in crores. In 2010 he started his own company called M J Infrastructure in Bomanahalli. He has involved himself in philanthropic work too and has built a temple and a church.

Kumar will be taking on BJP's bigwig Sathish Reddy and he is hopeful of winning the election.