The average assets of the candidates are worth ₹3.29 crore while 58 candidates declared zero assets

A quarter of the candidates contesting Telangana Assembly elections have declared themselves as ‘crorepatis’.

An analysis of data pertaining to 1777 candidates out of the total 1821 contesting in the December 7 elections was released by Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR) here on Monday.

Addressing a press conference, D Rakesh Reddy, Coordindator, ADR-Telangana, said 11 per cent of the candidates had assets worth more than ₹5 crore while those who have assets between ₹2-5 crore were 7 per cent.

“In terms of parties, 73 per cent of the BJP candidates, 80 per cent of the Congress candidates and 90 per cent of the Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) candidates are crorepatis”, Reddy said.

Individually, Congress candidate Komatireddy Rajagopal Reddy contesting from Munugodu constituency in Nalgonda district declared highest assets worth ₹314 crore followed by Mutyala Sunil Kumar, Bahujan Samaj Party candidate from Nizamabad, with ₹182 crore. TRS candidate M Janardhan Reddy from Nagar Kurnool is next with ₹161 crore.

The average assets of the candidates are worth ₹3.29 crore while 58 candidates declared zero assets, the survey finding revealed.

Criminal cases

The analysis also shows that 231 candidates accounting for 13 per cent of 1777, have ‘serious’ criminal cases registered against them. ADR defines ‘serious’ cases on a few parameters such as non-bailable case, causing loss to government treasury, attacks, murder, rape, violation of Representation of People’s Act and corruption.

In general, 21 per cent of the total candidates analysed had disclosed criminal cases against them.

The BJP had pending criminal cases against 37 per cent of its candidates while for the Congress and TRS, it is 70 per cent and 55 per cent respectively.