Former Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Kamal Nath's son, Nakul Nath, is the richest candidate in the first phase of the Lok Sabha elections with assets worth Rs 716 crore. His candidacy from Chhindwara, a Congress stronghold, underscores the financial stakes in Indian politics. The elections, scheduled in seven phases starting from April 19, will be closely watched for their political and financial implications.
Former Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Kamal Nath's son, Nakul Nath, has emerged as the richest candidate contesting in the first phase of the Lok Sabha elections, according to the Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR). Nakul Nath, contesting from Chhindwara, has declared assets worth Rs 716 crore, the highest among all candidates in this phase.
Background and Political Significance
Chhindwara, a Congress stronghold since 1952, was briefly represented by the BJP in 1997. Kamal Nath, a veteran Congress leader, held this seat for over two decades from 1998 to 2019. Nakul Nath succeeded his father in 2019, retaining the seat for the party despite the Modi wave in Madhya Pradesh.
Other Wealthy Candidates
Following Nakul Nath, AIADMK's Ashok Kumar from Erode, Tamil Nadu, is the second richest candidate with assets worth Rs 662 crore. BJP's Dhevanathan Yadav T, contesting from Sivaganga, Tamil Nadu, ranks third with assets worth Rs 304 crore.
Here's the complete list of the top 10 richest candidates;
Nakul Nath (Madhya Pradesh)
- Constituency: Chhindwara
- Party: Congress
- Movable Assets: Rs 6,68,86,18,696
- Immovable Assets: Rs 48,07,86,443
- Total Assets: Rs 7,16,94,05,139 (716 Crore+)
Ashok Kumar (Tamil Nadu)
- Constituency: Erode
- Party: AIADMK
- Movable Assets: Rs 5,73,91,87,500
- Immovable Assets: Rs 88,55,00,000
- Total Assets: Rs 6,62,46,87,500 (662 Crore+)
Dhevanathan Yadav (Tamil Nadu)
- Constituency: Sivaganga
- Party: BJP
- Movable Assets: Rs 2,53,67,95,456
- Immovable Assets: Rs 51,24,26,224
- Total Assets: Rs 3,04,92,21,680 (304 Crore+)
Mala Rajya Lakshmi Shah (Uttarakhand)
- Constituency: Tehri Garhwal
- Party: BJP
- Movable Assets: Rs 55,30,39,424
- Immovable Assets: Rs 1,51,57,00,000
- Total Assets: Rs 2,06,87,39,424 (206 Crore+)
Majid Ali (Uttar Pradesh)
- Constituency: Saharanpur
- Party: BSP
- Movable Assets: Rs 94,56,67,697
- Immovable Assets: Rs 65,02,32,382
- Total Assets: Rs 1,59,59,00,079 (159 Crore+)
Ac Shanmugam (Tamil Nadu)
- Constituency: Vellore
- Party: BJP
- Movable Assets: Rs 73,88,32,180
- Immovable Assets: Rs 78,89,54,638
- Total Assets: Rs 1,52,77,86,818 (152 Crore+)
Jayaprakash (Tamil Nadu)
- Constituency: Krishnagiri
- Party: AIADMK
- Movable Assets: Rs 13,68,09,428
- Immovable Assets: Rs 1,22,10,05,000
- Total Assets: Rs 1,35,78,14,428 (135 Crore+)
Vincent H. Pala (Meghalaya)
- Constituency: Shillong (ST)
- Party: Congress
- Movable Assets: Rs 2,51,59,331
- Immovable Assets: Rs 1,23,30,00,000
- Total Assets: Rs 1,25,81,59,331 (125 Crore+)
Jyoti Mirdha (Rajasthan)
- Constituency: Nagaur
- Party: BJP
- Movable Assets: Rs 36,07,69,825
- Immovable Assets: Rs 66,54,19,075
- Total Assets: Rs 1,02,61,88,900 (102 Crore+)
Karti P Chidambaram (Tamil Nadu)
- Constituency: Sivaganga
- Party: Congress
- Movable Assets: Rs 42,53,10,428
- Immovable Assets: Rs 53,74,33,620
- Total Assets: Rs 96,27,44,048 (96 Crore+)
Wealth Disparities and Party Assets
The ADR analysis reveals that 28% of candidates in the first phase are "crorepatis" with assets exceeding Rs 1 crore. The average assets per candidate are Rs 4.51 crore, with significant variations across party lines. For instance, all four RJD candidates, 35 of 36 AIADMK candidates, and 21 of 22 DMK candidates have declared assets exceeding Rs 1 crore.
The Lok Sabha polls will be held in seven phases starting from April 19, with the counting of votes scheduled for June 4. The wealth disclosures of candidates shed light on the financial landscape of Indian politics, highlighting disparities and the financial stakes involved.