Bhubaneswar, Apr 20 (UNI) As many as 119 crorepatis are contesting in the third phase elections in Odisha.
Altogether 417 candidates are in for six Lok Sabha and 42 Assembly seats in the third phase to be held on April 23, according to an analysis made by Association for Democratic Reforms(ADR) and Odisha Election Watch (OEW).
OEW state Coordinator Ranjam Kumar Mohanty told newsmen here while 16 crorepatis are contesting the Lok Sabha as many as 103 crorepatis are in the fray for the Assembly seats, as per the self sworn affidavits submitted by 60 Lok Sabha candidates and 354 Assembly candidates.
He said affidavits of one Lok Sabha and two Assembly candidates could not be analysed due to non availability of their complete affidavits.
Mr Mohanty said out of the 16 crorepatis contesting the Lok Sabha ruling BJD has five, the highest followed by Congress's and BJP three each, CPM, AITC, Ambedkar National Congress,Krupa Party, and the Prgatsheel Samaj Party one each.
The BJD nominee and sitting Puri Lok Sabha MP Pinaki Mishra is the richest among the Lok Sabha candidates with a total asset of Rs 117 crore followed by Nitish Ganga Deb, the BJP candidate for Sambalpur Lok Sabha seat with assets of Rs 26 crore.
Former Union Minister Kamakhya Prasad Singh Deo(Congress) contesting from Dhenkanal Lok Sabha seat figured the third position with a property of Rs 15 crore.
Mr Pinaki Mishra has the highest liabilities of Rs two crore, Mr Gang Deb Rs one crore, and Mr S S Padhi contesting the Bhubaneswar Lok Sabha seat as AITC candidate has a liability of Rs 88 lakh. As many as 30 candidates have submitted their liabilities.
Mr Ranjan Kumar Mishra of CPI(ML) red star contesting the Puri Lok Sabha seat has the lowest asset of Rs 1,000, followed by Mr Nabakishore Pradhan of SUCI contesting Sambalpur Lok Sabha seat with an asset of Rs 4,000.
Ms Pramila Behera contesting for the Bhubaneswar Lok Sabha seat has declared an asset of Rs 47,000, the third lowest asset.
Mr Pinaki Mishra has shown his annual income as Rs 24 crore, Mr Arun Mohan Patnaik, the BJD candidate for Bhubaneswar Lok Sabha as Rs one crore, Mr Nitish gangdeb Rs 51 lakh and Ms Aparajita Sarangi Rs 24 lakhs in their income tax return for 2018-19.
Mr Bobby Mohanty, contesting the Barrameda Assembly seat on Congress ticket is the richest among the 103 crorepatis contesting the Assembly election with an asset of Rs 106 crore.
He is followed by Odisha Congress President Niranjan Patnaik contesting the Ghasipura and Bhandaripokhari Assembly seats with an asset of Rs 60 crore and Independent candidate from Chamua Assembly seat with an asset of Rs.46 crore
Party wise BJD has the highest number of 31 crorepatis, followed by BJP (24), Congress( 23), BSP( 3), and AAP (2)
Mr Subrata Kumar Habada Singh of Hindustan Nirmal Dal contesting from Chilika has declared zero assets.
Mr Joginath Sahoo of Rashtriya Independent Morcha contesting from Banki constituency, Mr krushana Chandra Naik of Ambedkar party of India contesting from Talcher and Mr Anil Bhoi of Ambedkar Party of India contesting from Angul have the lowest asset of Rs 377, 700 and 2,500 respectively.
Ms Irani Ray of BJP contesting Nayagarha Assembly constituency has the highest liabilities of Rs 7 crore, Mr Srimanta Kumar Tripathy contesting from Champua as an Independent Rs 21 lakh and Mr Bobby Mohanty contesting from Baramba as a nominee of Congress has a liability of Rs 3 lakh.
Three candidates who have a high income are Mr Moammed Moquim contesting from Barabati-Cuttack on Congress ticket has an income of Rs 4 crore, Mr Bobby Mohanty has an income of Rs one crore and Mr Sudhir Kumar Samal (BJD) contesting from Dhenkanal has an income of Rs 47 lakh.