The first phase of the elections sees approximately 28% of candidates labelled as 'crorepatis', holding assets surpassing Rs 1 crore.
In Short
- Nakul Nath, son of Kamal Nath, is richest Lok Sabha candidate
- Nath has declared Rs 716 crore assets
- Second-richest candidate is AIADMK's Ashok Kumar
Former Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Kamal Nath's son Nakul Nath is the richest candidate contesting in phase one of the Lok Sabha elections.
Nakul Nath, contesting from Chhindwara, has declared assets worth Rs 716 crore in his election affidavit for the 2024 general elections. This also includes movable assets worth Rs 19.20 crore belonging to his wife, Priya Nath.
Chhindwara has long been a stronghold for the Congress party, as it has maintained its grip on the seat since 1952. Despite a brief tenure by the BJP in 1997, the constituency has predominantly been represented by the Congress.
Kamal Nath, a veteran Congress leader, held this seat for over two decades, from 1998 to 2019. In 2019, Nakul succeeded his father and retained the seat for the Congress party, defying the Modi wave that swept through Madhya Pradesh.
The second-richest candidate in phase one is Ashok Kumar, the AIADMK candidate from Erode, Tamil Nadu, with declared assets worth Rs 662 crore. Following closely behind is Dhevanathan Yadav T, a BJP candidate contesting from Sivaganga, also in Tamil Nadu, with assets worth Rs 304 crore.
Mala Rajya Lakshmi Shah of the BJP, running from Tehri Garhwal, stands fourth with assets worth Rs 206 crore. Majid Ali of the BSP secures the fifth position with assets declared at Rs 159 crore.
An analysis of candidates contesting in the first phase of the Lok Sabha elections conducted by the Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR) highlights the disparity in wealth. Approximately 28% of candidates in this phase are 'crorepatis', possessing assets exceeding Rs 1 crore. The average assets per candidate amount to Rs 4.51 crore, showing differences across party lines.
Among major parties, substantial assets have been declared by candidates across the board. Notably, all four candidates of the RJD, 35 out of 36 candidates of the AIADMK, 21 out of 22 candidates of the DMK, 69 out of 77 candidates of the BJP, 49 out of 56 candidates of the Congress, four out of five candidates of the TMC, and 18 out of 86 candidates of the BSP have assets exceeding Rs 1 crore.
The Lok Sabha elections will unfold in seven phases, commencing on April 19, with the final vote count scheduled for June 4. Subsequent phases will occur on April 26, May 7, May 13, May 20, May 25, and June 1.
