May 4th 2024.
As the Lok Sabha elections in Odisha approach on May 13, a report has revealed some interesting facts about the candidates in the fray. Out of the 37 candidates running for the four Lok Sabha seats - Nabarangpur, Berhampur, Koraput, and Kalahandi, a whopping 17 of them are crorepatis, according to the Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR).
The report also disclosed that both the BJP and BJD candidates for the four Lok Sabha seats are among the crorepatis. In addition, three Congress nominees and four independent candidates, along with one candidate each from Bharatiya Bikash Parishad and Naba Bharata Nirmana Seva Party have declared their assets worth more than Rs 1 crore, as per the ADR report.
Among all the candidates, the richest one is Malvika Devi, the BJP candidate for the Kalahandi LS seat, with assets worth Rs 41.89 crore. She is followed by V Chandra Shekhar, an independent candidate for the Berhampur constituency, and Rajendra Dalabehera, the Bharatiya Bikash Parishad nominee for Berhampur.
On the other hand, the poorest candidate is Pramila Pujari, the SUCI candidate for the Koraput MP seat, with declared assets of only Rs 20,625. Interestingly, Pradeep Kumar Panigrahy, the BJP nominee for Berhampur Lok Sabha constituency, has the highest liabilities worth Rs 3.82 crore.
Apart from financial details, the report also sheds light on the educational qualifications and age of the candidates. It reveals that 14 candidates have passed between class 5 and 12, while 22 have declared themselves as graduates. Only one candidate has declared himself as just literate. Out of the 37 candidates, only seven are female.
Furthermore, the age distribution of the candidates is also diverse. While 10 candidates fall in the age group of 25 to 40 years, 23 candidates are between 41 and 60 years old. There are also four candidates in the age group of 61 to 70 years. Additionally, seven candidates have pending criminal cases against them, according to the report.
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