Chhattisgarh polls: 17% candidates contesting in first phase are crorepatis

Assets of 12 re-contesting MLAs swell by 330%

Raipur, November 04

In politics, richness itself is a distinction to obtain ticket during elections. While shortlisting names, the political parties in Chhattisgarh did not forget considering this factor as is apparent by the scenario in first round of polls in which 17% (i.e. 25 candidates) of total 143 candidates in fray are crorepatis. Contrarily, a total of 31 candidates have declared assets less than Rs five lakh.

Interestingly, the assets of 12 re-contesting candidates have swelled by 330%. Overall, the properties of 24 candidates, who had fought polls in 2008 and are contesting again this time, have inflated by 260%.

The top three candidates with highest declared assets are Mohan Lal Makram of Congress from Kondagaon constituency with assets worth Rs 12.63 crore followed by CM Raman Singh of BJP from Rajnandgaon constituency with assets worth Rs 5.61 crore and Devti Karma of Congress from Dantewada constituency with assets worth Rs 4.63 crore.

Among re-contesting candidates, CM Raman Singh, BJP forest minister Vikram Usendi and BJP MLA Subhau Kashyap are top three persons whose assets marked highest growth. In five years, the CM’s assets have increased by fivefold. He had declared Rs 1.04 crore in 2008 while his current asset value is Rs 5.61 crore. Usendi’s assets too have jumped from mere Rs 40.92 lakh in 2008 to Rs 2.39 crore in2013, a sixfold growth. Kashyap’s assets bulge from Rs 20.34 lakh in 2008 to Rs 1.76 crore in 2013, a whopping ninefold growth.   

On the other hand, in terms of percentage growth of assets, Minesh Sahu of Chhattisgarh Swabhiman Manch (CSM) has shown the maximum asset growth, i.e. 6073% as his assets increased from Rs 1.90 lakh in 2008 to Rs 1.17 crore in 2013. Sahu is followed BJP MLA Mahesh Kumar Gagda with asset growth of 1466%. His assets increased from Rs 7.95 lakh in 2008 to Rs 1.24 crore in 2013. After Gagda comes Man Singh Kashyap of CPI with 1046% growth in his assets which was Rs 1.10 lakh in 2008 and increased to Rs 12.61 lakh in 2013.

Among the highest earners in fiscal 2012-13 are CM Raman Singh whose annual income was Rs 32.26 lakh and BJP candidate Dinesh Gandhi whose total income was Rs 13.66 lakh. The two are followed by Jhadu Ram Nareti of Chhattisgarh Swabhiman Manch (CSM) who had declared annual income Rs 13.14 lakh for financial year 2011-12.

The top three candidates with highest declared liabilities are Lakheshwar Baghel of Congress with liabilities worth Rs 71.69 lakh followed by Santosh Bafna of BJP with liabilities worth Rs 69.98 lakh and Alka Mudliyar of Congress with liabilities worth Rs 49.51 lakh.