Odisha assembly elections: Naveen Patnaik richest among candidates in second phase

BHUBANESWAR: Chief minister of Odisha and BJD supremo Naveen Patnaik is the richest candidate among the total 244 in fray for 35 assembly constituencies going to polls during the second phase on April 18 in the state. Patnaik, who is contesting from Hinjili and Bijepur assembly seats, has declared total assets worth Rs 63 crore.

The other wealthy candidates next to him are BJP’s Patnagarh assembly candidate and a member of royal family Kanak Vardhan Singh Deo with property worth Rs 37 crore and BJD’s Jharsuguda assembly candidate Naba Kishore Das with assets worth Rs 33 crore.

Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR), a voluntary organisation working on electoral reforms, released the analysis of the financial, education, criminal backgrounds of candidates to help voters in making ‘informed choice’ during the elections here on Monday.

Of the total 241 candidates 70 (29%) are millionaires and the ruling BJD has maximum number of 21 (60%) are millionaires. BJP and congress have 20 (57%) and 13 (41%) millionaires respectively. The average asset per candidate contesting assembly polls in Odisha assembly election in phase two is Rs 1.93 crores. Two independent assembly candidates Ananta Kanhar and Birendra Kumar Gouda for Phulbani and Bhanjanagar respectively have zero assets.

Among the 35 Lok Sabha (LS) candidates 31% are millionaires of whom BJP’s Bolangir LS candidate Sangeeta Kumari Singh Deo is the richest with property worth Rs 37 crore followed by her opponent from BJD Kalikesh Narayan Singh Deo with assets worth Rs 20 crore.

Elections will be held in five Lok Sabha seats of Bargarh, Sundergarh, Bolangir, Kandhamal and Aska and 35 assembly seats under them on Aril 18.

As many as 35%, (81 of the 241) candidates for assembly seats have criminal cases while 28% (68) have serious criminal cases against them like assault, murder, kidnap, rape, crimes against women and bribery. Among the LS candidates five of the 35 (14%) have serious criminal cases against them.

In the second phase there are 14 red alert constituencies which have three or more candidates with declared criminal cases.

For the LS seats there are 14% (5 of the 35) women candidates for assembly polls only 10% (25 out of 241) candidates are women.

Among the 241 assembly candidates three are doctorates, 32 are post-graduates, 33 are professional graduates, 53 are graduates and 47 are 12 ^th pass. Maximum numbers of 78 candidates are between the age group of 41-50 years while 69 candidates are within the age group of 51-60 years.

Among the 35 Lok Sabha candidates two are doctorates, seven are post graduates, two are graduate professionals and 11 are graduates, while 14 are within the age group of 41 to 50 years.