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The average of assets per candidate contesting in the Chhattisgarh Assembly elections is Rs 1.68 crore.

HIGHLIGHTS

  • Number of candidates with declared criminal cases is marginally up this time
  • Out of 1,256 candidates analysed, 145 candidates declared criminal cases against themselves
  • Number of crorepati candidates is also up from previous assembly polls


The Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) has most crorepati (a person whose assets are worth at least one crore) candidates in the election fray while the Congress party has more candidates with pending criminal cases against them. The Chhattisgarh Election Watch and Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR) have analysed the self-sworn affidavits of 1,256 out of 1,269 candidates who are contesting in the both phases of Chhattisgarh Assembly elections.

Out of all 1,269 candidates, 237 are from national parties, 156 are from state parties, 315 are from registered unrecognised parties, and 561 candidates are contesting independently. TS Baba of the Congress is the candidate with highest declared assets worth Rs 500 crore.

CANDIDATES WITH CRIMINAL CASES

Number of candidates with declared criminal cases is marginally up this time. Out of 1,256 candidates analysed, 145 (12 per cent) candidates have declared criminal cases against themselves while in 2013 Chhattisgarh Assembly elections, out of 983 candidates analysed, 113 (11 per cent) had declared criminal cases against themselves.

In 2013 Chhattisgarh Assembly elections, 66 (7 per cent) candidates had declared serious criminal cases against themselves, this time 98 (8 per cent) candidates have declared serious criminal cases, including cases related to attempt to murder, kidnappings, etc.

Among the major parties, 6 (7 per cent) out of 90 candidates from the BJP, 25 (28 per cent) out of 90 candidates from Indian National Congress(INC), 17 (21 per cent) out of 83 candidates from Aam Aadmi Party AAP, 18 (32 per cent) out of 56 candidates from Janta Congress Chhattisgarh (J), 3 (9 per cent) out of 34 candidates from the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), and 39 (7 per cent) out of 556 independent candidates analysed have declared criminal cases against themselves in their affidavits.

The report says that two candidates have declared cases related to attempt to murder, three candidates have declared cases related to kidnapping and four candidates have declared cases related to crime against women.

FINANCIAL BACKGROUND OF CANDIDATES

The number of crorepati candidates is also up from previous assembly polls. Out of the 1,256 candidates, 285 (23 per cent) are crorepatis.

In 2013 Chhattisgarh Assembly elections, out of 983 candidates, 213 (22 per cent) were crorepatis. Among the major parties 74(82 per cent) out of 90 candidates from the BJP, 66 (73 per cent) out of 90 candidates from the INC, 39 (70 per cent) out of 56 candidates from the Janta Congress Chhattisgarh (J), 13 (16 per cent) out of 83 candidates from the AAP, 14 (41 per cent) out of 34 candidates from the BSP and 52 (9 per cent) out of 556 independent candidates have declared assets worth more than Rs 1 crore.

The average of assets per candidate contesting in the Chhattisgarh Assembly elections is Rs 1.68 crore. In 2013 Chhattisgarh Assembly elections, average assets per candidate for 983 candidates was Rs 1.42 crore. Among major parties, the average assets per candidate for 90 BJP candidates is Rs 4.51 crore, 90 INC candidates is Rs 10.02 crores, 83 AAP candidates have average assets of Rs 93.91 lakh, 56 JCC (J) candidates have average assets worth Rs 5.23 crore, 34 BSP candidates have average assets worth Rs 1.11 crore, and 556 independent candidates have average assets of Rs. 45.94 lakh.

CANDIDATES WITH HIGHEST DECLARED ASSETS

TS Baba of the Congress contesting from Aambikapur constituency has highest declared assets worth Rs 500 crore, Devwrat Singh of the Janta Congress Chhattisgarh from Khairagarh constituency has declared assets worth Rs 119 crore while Amitesh Shukla of the Congress contesting on Rajim seat has third highest declared assets worth Rs 74 crore.