As the third phase of Assembly elections approaches in Odisha, a significant revelation surfaces: 126 candidates vying for seats in the state assembly are 'crorepatis'.
Sanatan Mahakud, contesting from the Champua segment under the BJD banner, leads the wealth chart with assets worth Rs 227.67 crore.
On May 25, constituents from Bhubaneswar, Cuttack, Dhenkanal, Keonjhar, Puri, and Sambalpur Lok Sabha constituencies, along with 42 assembly seats under these segments, will cast their votes.
The Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR) and Odisha Election Watch have meticulously scrutinised the self-sworn affidavits of 381 out of 383 candidates contesting for the 42 MLA seats in Odisha.
According to the report, a staggering 33% of the candidates, totalling 126, are 'crorepatis' in the third phase of the assembly polls.
Following Mahakud, Soumya Ranjan Patnaik, an independent candidate from Ghasipura, claims the second spot with family assets amounting to Rs 122.86 crore.
Pratyusha Rajeshwari Singh, BJP's candidate from Nayagarh Assembly segment, secures the third position, declaring combined movable and immovable assets worth Rs 120.56 crore.
The report underscores the prominence of financial prowess in elections, noting that major political parties frequently nominate affluent candidates.
Of the major parties, 36 out of 42 BJD candidates, 29 from Congress, 28 from BJP, and four from AAP boast assets exceeding Rs 1 crore.
On average, each candidate contesting in the Odisha Assembly elections 2024 (phase-III) possesses assets valued at Rs 3.47 crore.
Despite the affluence prevalent among candidates, some outliers emerge with meagre assets.
Kailash Chandra Nayak from Samruddha Odisha, contesting from Baramba MLA segment, declares assets of Rs 1,000, followed by independent candidate Sukanta Ghadai from Brahmagiri and CPI (ML) Red Star nominee Gopinath Nayak from Bhubaneswar North, both with assets amounting to Rs 2,000.
Out of the 381 candidates analysed, 100 face criminal charges, with 86 accused of serious criminal offences.
Among the major parties, BJP leads with 23 candidates facing serious criminal cases, followed by one CPI(M) candidate, 13 from Congress, and 12 from BJD.
Educational qualifications also vary among the candidates, with 155 holding qualifications ranging from 5th to 12th standard, 210 being graduates or above, 12 holding diplomas, and two declaring themselves as literate. Two candidates admit to being illiterate.
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