As many as 412 'crorepati' candidates are vying for seats in the Odisha Assembly elections, being held from May 13 to June 1.
This marks a significant increase from the previous election, where 304 wealthy candidates contested.
The Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR) and Odisha Election Watch have scrutinised the affidavits of 1,283 of the 1,285 candidates competing for the 147 MLA seats.
The Odisha Assembly elections coincide with the Lok Sabha elections, adding to the political fervor in the state. Of the analysed candidates, 32% are crorepatis, compared to 27% in the 2019 elections.
The ADR report highlighted that the wealthiest candidates span various political parties: 128 from BJD, 96 from BJP, 88 from Congress, and 11 from AAP, each declaring assets exceeding Rs 1 crore.
The average asset per candidate in the current election is Rs 2.89 crore, a notable rise from Rs 1.69 crore in 2019.
Former Coal Minister Dilip Ray stands out as the wealthiest candidate, with assets totaling Rs 313.53 crore.
Ray, a BJP nominee from the Rourkela Assembly segment, is followed by BJD's Sanatan Mahakud from Champua, with Rs 227.67 crore, and Subasini Jena from Basta, with assets of Rs 135.17 crore.
In contrast, five candidates have declared zero assets. These include independent candidates Ramesh Kumar Mahanand (Bhawanipatna), Sohan Sipka (Kantabanji), and Sanjay Kumar Das (Dhamnagar), BSP's Purna Chandra Majhi from Rayagada, and Ambedkarite Party of India's Gopal Krushna Mohanty from Korei.
A total of 103 MLAs are re-contesting, with 74 from BJD, 21 from BJP, five from Congress, two independents, and one from CPI (M).
Notably, 348 candidates (27%) have declared criminal cases against themselves, slightly down from 30% in 2019. Serious criminal charges are faced by 292 candidates.
Educational qualifications among candidates vary widely: 566 candidates have education levels between class 5 and 12, 652 hold graduate degrees or higher, 51 are diploma holders, 12 are literate, and two are illiterate.
Age-wise, the majority of candidates (760) fall within the 41-60 years range. The 25-40 age group has 333 candidates, the 61-80 age group has 188, and two candidates are over 80.
The gender disparity remains stark, with only 178 women (14%) contesting this year, up from 112 (10%) in 2019.
The financial and criminal backgrounds of candidates reflect broader trends in Indian politics, where wealth and legal issues often go hand in hand.
The increased presence of crorepatis suggests rising economic barriers to entry in politics, while the prevalence of candidates with criminal cases highlights ongoing concerns about the integrity of political representatives.
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