Bhubaneswar: BJD candidate from Champua segment Sanatan Mahakud is the richest candidate in fray for the third phase Assembly polls in the State, which is scheduled to be held on May 25.
Shri Mahakud owns assets worth Rs 227.67 crore including movable assets of Rs 186.76 crore and immovable assets of Rs 40.91 crore, as per a report of Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR) and Odisha Election Watch, which have analysed the self-sworn affidavits of 381 out of 383 candidates contesting for 42 MLA seats of Odisha.
As many 126 (33 percent) crorepati candidates have remained in fray for the third phase assembly polls in the State. Independent candidate from Ghasipura, Soumya Ranjan Patnaik is the second richest candidate, who has declared assets to the tune of Rs 122.86 crore.
The third palace is occupied by the BJP candidate from Nayagarh Assembly segment, Pratyusha Rajeshwari Singh, who declared both movable and immovable assets of her family totalling Rs 120.56 crore.
Among the major parties, 36 out of 42 candidates analysed from BJD, 29 are from Congress, 28 from BJP and four from AAP have declared assets valued more than Rs 1 crore, the report said.
The average of assets per candidate contesting in the Odisha Assembly elections 2024 (phase-III) is Rs 3.47 crore.
Three candidates with low assets are Samruddha Odisha’s Kailash Chandra Nayak (Rs 1,000) contesting from Baramba MLA segment, independent candidate Sukanta Ghadai (Rs 2,000) from Brahmagiri and CPI (ML) Red Star nominee Gopinath Nayak (Rs 2,000) from Bhubaneswar North, it said.
Out of 381 candidates analysed, 100 candidates have declared criminal cases against themselves, among whom, 86 are facing serious criminal cases.
Among the major parties, 23 BJP candidates, one CPI(M) candidate, 13 Congress candidates and 12 BJD nominees have declared serious criminal cases against themselves in their affidavits.
The report further said that 155 candidates have declared their educational qualifications to be between 5th and 12th standard while 210 candidates are graduates or above. Besides, 12 candidates are diploma holders while two candidates have declared themselves to be just literate and another two candidates are illiterates.
Bhubaneswar, Cuttack, Dhenkanal, Keonjhar, Puri and Sambalpur Lok Sabha constituencies along with 42 assembly seats coming under these LS segments will go for poll in the third phase polls in Odisha on May 25.