May 14th 2024.
In the upcoming second phase of Assembly elections in Odisha, BJP candidate and former union minister Dilip Ray has caught the attention of many as the richest MLA in the fray. According to a report by the Association for Democratic Reforms and Odisha Election Watch, a whopping 95 out of 265 candidates in 35 Assembly segments are crorepatis.
Ray, who is contesting from Rourkela on a BJP ticket, has declared a total asset of Rs 313.53 crore, making him the richest nominee of this phase. His affidavit submitted to the Election Commission reveals that he owns movable assets worth Rs 260.03 crore and immovable assets of Rs 53.50 crore.
Interestingly, Ray's eligibility to contest elections has come after the Delhi High Court stayed his conviction in an alleged coal block allocation scam in Jharkhand in 1999. At that time, he was the union minister of state with independent charge of coal ministry.
Following Ray, BJD's MLA candidate from Bolangir constituency, Kalikesh Narayan Singh Deo, comes in as the second richest candidate with a total asset of Rs 73.66 crore. Not far behind is Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, who is contesting from Kantabanji and Hinjili constituencies, with a total asset of Rs 71.07 crore.
The report by ADR further reveals that the average assets per candidate in the Odisha Assembly elections is Rs 3.98 crore. Among the major parties, the average asset per candidate for 35 BJD candidates is Rs 12.09 crore, 33 Congress nominees is Rs 2.95 crore, 35 BJP candidates is Rs 13.11 crore, and 10 AAP candidates is Rs 95.89 lakh. Interestingly, one independent candidate, Sohan Sipka, contesting from Kantabanji Constituency has declared zero assets.
While most candidates have declared high assets, there are a few exceptions. Pradipa Sahu, an independent candidate from Boudh Assembly seat, Forward Bloc's Abhiram Dharua from Kantabanji, and independent nominee Satyanarayan Bohidar from Titlagarh have all declared low assets.
Out of 265 candidates, a concerning 87 have declared criminal cases against themselves. Shockingly, 70 of them are facing serious criminal charges. The report also reveals that five candidates have cases related to murder, 16 have attempt to murder cases, and 11 are accused of crimes against women.
Among the major parties, 28 candidates from BJP, 17 from Congress, nine from BJD, and four out of 10 AAP candidates have declared criminal cases against themselves in their affidavits.
In terms of education, the report highlights that 130 nominees have declared their qualifications to be between 5th and 12th standard pass, while 122 candidates are graduates or above. Surprisingly, only 41 female candidates are contesting in the phase-II Odisha Assembly election.
With such diverse backgrounds and assets, the candidates are all set to battle it out in the upcoming elections. It remains to be seen who will emerge victorious and lead the state towards progress and development.
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