May 22nd 2024.
In the upcoming Lok Sabha elections, the state of Odisha will see a total of six constituencies going to the polls in the final phase on June 1. However, it has come to light that out of the 66 candidates contesting in these six constituencies, a staggering 20 of them are crorepatis. This information was revealed by both the Odisha Election Watch and the Association for Democratic Reforms on Wednesday.
According to the Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR), the average assets of the candidates in this phase amount to a whopping Rs 3.83 crore. Out of the major political parties, it was found that BJP candidates have the highest average assets at Rs 27.12 crore, followed by BJD candidates with Rs 6.61 crore and Congress aspirants with Rs 2.37 crore.
Interestingly, the candidate with the highest declared assets is Baijayant Panda, the BJP nominee for Kendrapara, with a staggering amount of Rs 148.08 crore. He is closely followed by independent candidate Sriram Pandey with Rs 18.23 crore and sitting BJP MP Manjulata Mandal from Bhadrak with Rs 14.86 crore.
On the other end of the spectrum, the candidates with the lowest declared assets are Bhanumati Das of Utkal Samaj Party with Rs 1,500, independent candidate Deepak Sankar Thakur Giri with Rs 6,000, and BSP's Bibhuti Bhusan Majhi with Rs 6,061.
In addition to the high number of crorepatis, it was also reported that 15 out of the 66 candidates have declared criminal cases against themselves, with 10 facing serious criminal charges.
When it comes to educational qualifications, the candidates have a varied background. 19 of them have completed education between class V and XII, while 43 are graduates or hold higher degrees. Additionally, two candidates have diplomas, and two have declared themselves as just literate.
It remains to be seen how these factors will influence the outcome of the elections in Odisha and who will emerge victorious in the six constituencies.
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