BJP Fields Richest Candidate in M'rashtra

MUMBAI: The richest candidate in fray for the upcoming Assembly elections in Maharashtra is BJP’s Mangal Prabhat Lodha, while the poorest is NCP’s R R Patil, according to the affidavits they filed with the Election Commission.

A construction magnet, Lodha has declared assets worth Rs 200 crore. Patil, the outgoing Home Minister, has assets worth Rs 1.10 crore. Both are four-time legislators and are facing their fifth consecutive election.

Lodha, who is seeking re-election from the plush Malabar Hill here, is one of the most influential developers in the city. His company, Lodha Constructions, is a leading player in the real estate sector. It has been in the news of late for purchasing prime lands and defunct mill lands in the city. The transactions were reportedly worth hundreds of crores.

Lodha also heads an NGO, Lodha Foundation. Though his company huge tracts of land, he resides in a three-BHK apartment on the city’s high profile Napean Sea Road. Son of a senior RSS functionary from Rajasthan, Lodha has good relations with the BJP top brass. Congress’ Sushiben Shah, also chairperson of State Women’s Commission, will be his main rival.

On the other hand, Patil, known as the NCP’s middle class face, holds a record of heading the Home Department for 10 years. He is credited for successful implementation of the world’s largest cleanliness drive “Sant Gadgebaba Gram Swachchata Abhiyan” in the state in his capacity as the Rural Development Minister.

Patil, a law graduate, is seeking votes from Tasgaon constituency in Sangli district. He reportedly lives at a farm house in his native village, Anjani. However, his opponent Sanjay Patil alleges that the NCP leader is a “drama person”. “He is not what he shows. I will expose him at an appropriate time,” Sanjay, now a BJP MP, said.

Patil is one of the top five NCP leaders, but is better known for his “exaggerated” promises and a controversial statement after the November 26, 2008, terror attacks here. “A stray incident can happen in a big city like Mumbai,” he had said.

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