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Times of India
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/ranchi/congress-candidate-krishna-nand-tripathi-richest-and-has-highest-cases-lodged-in-chatra-lok-sabha-constituency/articleshow/110130883.cms
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Krishna Nand Tripathi, a former minister and the Congress party’s candidate for the Chatra Lok Sabha constituency, is the richest among all the 54 candidates contesting in the third phase of the elections in Jharkhand due on May 20. He also has the most number of cases registered against him, a report prepared by the Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR) by analysing the election affidavits of the candidates has claimed.

Tripathi (52) has declared cumulative assets of over Rs 70 crore. Rajesh, an independent candidate who is contesting the Koderma Lok Sabha seat, is the poorest with assets worth Rs 25,000.

Hazaribagh, Koderma and Chatra (SC) Lok Sabha seats are going to polls on May 20. As many as 22 candidates are in the fray from Chatra, while 17 are contesting in Hazaribagh. Fifteen are contesting in Koderma.

“Of all the candidates in fray in the second phase of elections in Jharkhand, 39% (21) are crorepatis. The average assets of candidates is Rs 3.53 crore,” the ADR said.

Tripathi’s 30 acre agricultural land in Palamu was priced at Rs 66.6 crore, while his home in Redma had a market value of Rs 2.5 crore, he claimed in his affidavit.

The report, released on Monday, put BJP’s Hazaribagh candidate Manish Jaiswal as the second richest. Jaiswal, the incumbent Hazaribagh MLA, has declared total assets worth Rs 36.29 crore, of which Rs 29.08 crore are immovable assets. Outgoing union minister Annapurna Devi, who is seeking a second term from Koderma, has declared total assets worth Rs 12.82 crore.

Raj Kumar, the Jharkhand Party’s candidate for the Hazaribagh seat, has declared assets worth Rs 8.95 crore. The fifth in the list is BJP’s Chatra candidate Kalicharan Singh, who declared his sources of income as business and showed total assets worth Rs 8.62 crore.

Tripathi also has the most cases registered against him. In his affidavit, Tripathi has stated that he has eight pending cases against him. Jaiswal has two cases against him, including one for violating the Jharkhand State Epidemic (Covid) Act of 2020 in 2021.

“Altogether 33 candidates have criminal cases against. Of them, cases against nine candidates are of serious nature,” the ADR added.