59 'crorepatis' in fray in Odisha polls' first phase

Bhubaneswar: At least 59 crorepati candidates are seeking their fate in the first phase of Lok Sabha and Assembly elections in Odisha slated to be held on April 11.

Out of the 26 candidates for the four parliamentary constituencies, 10 have assets worth more than Rs 1 crore, said a report by the Odisha Election Watch and Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR), who have analysed the self-sworn affidavits of all the candidates in the first phase. 

Out of the 189 candidates for the 28 Assembly seats, 49 are crorepatis. 

In the Lok Sabha polls, Congress' Berhampur candidate V. Chandrasekhar Naidu has the highest assets (over Rs 36 crore), followed by the Bharatiya Janata Party's Nabarangpur candidate Balabhadra Majhi with Rs 8.74 crore.

Jayaram Pangi, the BJP candidate from Koraput, has come third with total assets of Rs 4.19 crore.

The average of assets per candidate contesting in the first phase of Lok Sabha elections in Odisha is Rs 2.67 crore, said the report.

In the Assembly segments, 11 candidates from the BJP, 14 candidates from the Congress, 17 candidates from the Biju Janata Dal, two candidates from the Bahujan Samaj Party and five Independent candidates have declared assets worth more than Rs 1 crore.

BJP candidate from Dhamnagar Assembly constituency, Ananta Pratap Deo, topped the list with Rs 27.66 crore assets followed by Congress candidate from Berhampur assembly segment, Lingaraj Choudhury, with Rs 17.71 crore assets.

Minister Surya Narayan Patro, a BJD candidate from Digapahandi, has Rs 16.68 crore, said the report.

The average of assets per candidate contesting in the Assembly elections' first phase is Rs 1.16 crore.

Among major parties, the average assets per candidate for the 28 BJD candidates analysed is Rs 2.58 crore, for 27 Congress candidates is Rs 1.95 crore, 28 BJP candidates have average assets of Rs 2.06 crore and 22 BSP candidates have average assets worth Rs 44.81 lakh.