Bhubaneswar: At least 119 crorepati candidates are in the fray for the third phase of elections to six Lok Sabha and 42 Assembly constituencies scheduled for April 23.
The Odisha Election Watch and Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR) has released a detailed report on this after analysing the affidavits submitted by candidates for the third phase elections here Saturday.
Odisha Election Watch’s State Coordinator Ranjan Kumar Mohanty said 16 crorepatis are contesting for the Lok Sabha and 103 crorepatis are in the fray for Assembly seats.
“We have analysed the self-sworn affidavits of 354 of the 356 MLA candidates and 60 of the 61 MP candidates who are contesting in the third phase elections,” Mohanty said.
He said the affidavits of one Lok Sabha and two Assembly candidates could not be analysed due to non-availability of their full affidavits.
Of the 60 Lok Sabha candidates, 16 (27 per cent) candidates have assets worth more than Rs 1 crore. While the ruling BJD is having the highest of five crorepati candidates, the Congress and BJP each are having three such candidates. The CPM, AITC, Ambedkar National Congress, Krupa Party and the Prgatsheel Samaj Party are having one each, the report said. BJD’s nominee for Puri Lok Sabha seat Pinaki Mishra is the richest MP candidate with properties worth over Rs 117 crore, followed by the BJP candidate from Sambalpur, Nitesh Ganga Deb, with Rs 26 crore and Congress’ KP Singh Deo with Rs 15 crore.
Bobby Mohanty, contesting from the Baramba Assembly seat on a Congress ticket, is the richest MLA candidate with assets worth Rs 106 crore. He is followed by state Congress President Niranjan Patnaik contesting from Ghasipura and Bhandaripokhari Assembly seats with assets of Rs 60 crore. An Independent candidate of Chamua Assembly seat is in the third position with assets of Rs 46 crore.
Subrata Kumar Habada Singh of Hindustan Nirmal Dal contesting from Chilika has declared zero assets.
The report said that 134 candidates are having criminal backgrounds. Of this 15 are contesting to the LS while 119 are in the fray for the Assembly.
Of the 119 Assembly contestants, 101 have declared serious criminal cases against themselves. Among the major parties, 13 (31%) of 42 candidates analysed from BJD, 25 (60%) of 42 candidates analysed from the BJP, 18 (44%) of 41 candidates analysed from the INC, and five (17%) of the 30 candidates analysed from the BSP have declared serious criminal cases against themselves in their affidavits.
Similarly, 10 LS candidates have declared serious criminal cases against themselves. Of this two each are from the BJP and the SUCI(C), one each from the Congress, BSP, Kalinga Sena, Hindustan Nirman Dal, CPM and AITC.