BHOPAL: In five years, the net worth of candidates contesting from Madhya Pradesh has more than doubled. Out of the total 370 candidates in fray from the 29 constituencies in state, 20% (75) are crorepatis. This compared to merely 10% (41) of a total of 420 candidates in 2009. 

BJP that had 20% crorepatis in 2009, now has about 83% crorepatis while the number of crorepati candidates in Congress party has gone up from 69% in 2009 to 86% in 2014. All political parties have seen a rise in percentage of crorepati candidates. BSP had 4 (14%) crorepatis in 2009 and they have 6 (21%) now. Even debutante AAP has fielded 7 (26%) crorepatis from state. Besides, 3% of the independent candidates are also in the rich club. 

These details were issued by Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR) and MP Election Watch (MPEW) after analysis of individual affidavits filed by the candidates. 

Congress candidates dominate the 'crorepati club' by bagging six of the top 10 positions. Congress candidate from Indore, Satyanarayan Patel tops the list with a declared worth close to Rs 70 crore followed by partymen Premchand Guddu from Ujjain (Rs 53.3 crore) and MPCC president Arun Yadav (Rs 31.8 crore) who is contesting from Khandwa. 

Leader of opposition in Lok Sabha and senior BJP leader Sushma Swaraj is the richest BJP candidate with assets worth Rs 17.5 crore while AAP candidate from Dhar Dr Hemlata Jamuna Devi and CPI (M) candidate Lata Bhabor contesting from Ratlam have also made it to the crorepati club. 

Of the 23 crorepatis in the in MP, three have not mentioned their PAN details in the affidavit submitted to the Election Commission (EC). They are — independent candidate Baba Adbul Hamid and Samata Party's Isamuddin Saiyyed, both contesting from Khandwa and SP candidate Dr Neha Sharma from Indore.