33% MLAs are crorepati in Chhattisgarh

Raipur, October 18

Though Arvind Kejriwal-led Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has decided to clean up the politics by eschewing money power and seeking votes for its clean-imaged and financially humble candidates purely on account of their merits, the political parties in rest of India think elections should be fought in traditional manner by putting aside ethics and morals and using every tactic including the power of currency to win. Perhaps, this is the reason Chhattisgarh has 33% crorepati (billionaire) legislators.

The political parties prefer to give ticket to crorepati candidates because the latter not only incur their own poll expenditure but also give funds for financially weaker, but winnable candidates.

In 2008 assembly elections, 15 from BJP and 29 from Congress were in fray. The total number of crorepati candidates in polls was 66. The crorepati club features 28 MLAs, i.e. 11 from BJP including CM Raman Singh and 17 from Congress including former CM Ajit Jogi.

Surprisingly, CM Raman Singh is in the bottom of the elite club with the total asset value of slightly over Rs one crore. Singh’s movable assets worth Rs 62.35 lakh including about Rs 13 cash and jewelleries worth Rs 18 lakh. He had bank deposites and investments worth over Rs 28.50 lakh. His immoval assets worth Rs 42.50 lakh including agricultural lands worth Rs 20.95 lakh, one property in his hometown Kawardha and one duplex house at Raipur. He does not own any vehicle. His has no liability.

Besides, home minister Nankiram Kanwar health minister Amar Agrawal and WRD minister Ramvichar Netam too feature in crorepati club with asset value over Rs one crore. Chhattisgahr legislative assembly Speaker Dharamlal Kaushik also have asset worth Rs 1.78 crore.

The legislator who was ranked first in the club was former state Congress president Nandkumar Patel with total asset value of over Rs 37 crore. Notably, Patel lost his life during May 25 naxal attack. His seat is presently vacant. The congress has given ticket to his son Umesh to carry forward his legacy. Patel’s movable assets worth Rs 29.69 lakh including Rs 5.80 lakh cash and jewelleries worth Rs 5.45 lakh. His immovable assets  worth Rs Rs 36.72 crore  including agriculture lands worth Rs 27.40 lakh, two properties worth 21 lakh at Raigarh, one property at Raipur worth Rs 13.94 lakh and one property at Bhopal worth Rs 36.10 crore. His liabilities include house and car loans worth Rs 16.16 lakh.

In the crorepati club, Patel is followed by seven more Congress MLAs with high asset value. They are Rajkamal Singhania – over Rs 10 crore, Gurmukh Singh Hora – over Rs 6 crore, former CM Ajit Jogi, Dr Renu Jogi and Amitesh Shukla – over Rs 4 crore each and Jai Singh Agrawal, Paresh Baghbahra and Congress legidlators’ party leader Ravindra Choubey -  over Rs two crore each.

The richest BJP MLA is Neelima Singh Tekam whose assets value is Rs two crore. The other BJP legislators with over Rs one crore asset are Dr Krishnamurti Bandhi, Nandkumar Sahu, Phoolchand Singh, Raju Singh and Yuddhveer Singh Judev.

The Congress MLAs who have assets above Rs one crore are  Agni Chandrakar, Mohammad Akbar, Amarjeet Bhagat , Chaitram Sahu, Devendra Bahadur Singh, Dr Shakrajeet Nayak, Dr Premsai Singh Tekam, Korba and Kuldeep Singh Juneja.