BHUBANESWAR: Around 28 per cent candidates in the electoral race in the Bhubaneswar Lok Sabha seat and three Assembly segments of the city, are crorepatis.
An analysis of the affidavits of the candidates who filed their nominations papers for the Bhubaneswar Parliamentary constituency and the Bhubaneswar Central, North and Ekamra - the three key Assembly seats of the capital city shows that 16 of the 57 candidates who have thrown their hat into the electoral ring are crorepatis.
Among them, four are from BJD while three each are from BJP and Congress. Besides, three crorepati candidates are contesting as Independent and another three crorepatis are from other parties including BSP and Samrudhha Odisha.
As many as four crorepati candidates are contesting in Bhubaneswar Lok Sabha seat while six crorepati candidates are in fray from Bhubaneswar Central Assembly seat. Bhubaneswar North and Ekamra Assembly segments also have three crorepati candidates each.
BJD MLA and party’s Bhubaneswar North candidate Susant Kumar Rout is the richest among all the nominees contesting from the three Assembly segments of the city as well as the Bhubaneswar Lok Sabha seat, with a total assets of Rs 21.76 crore. He is also the richest candidate in the North Assembly segment of the city.
BJP Central candidate Jagannath Pradhan is the second richest in the list with total assets of around Rs 17.46 crore. Pradhan is also the richest candidate in Bhubaneswar Central Assembly constituency. Similarly, BJP’s Ekamra Bhubaneswar candidate Babu Singh is the third richest candidate with a total assets of around Rs 11.85 crore.
As per the affidavits, total 17 candidates have filed their nominations for Bhubaneswar Lok Sabha seat of which four are crorepatis.
BJD candidate Manmath Routray who has assets of Rs 10.56 crore is the richest Lok Sabha candidate, while Independent candidate Sudhansu Sekhar Das with total assets of around Rs 4.97 crore is the second richest.
Sitting MP and BJP’s Lok Sabha nominee Aparajita Sarangi has assets worth Rs 4.36 crore that includes those in the name of her spouse. Congress candidate Yasir Nawaz is also in the list with assets worth over Rs 1 crore. Some of the candidates, however, opined that personal wealth is never a factor in winning elections, though it helps in managing their own election expenses.
“I am managing the election expenses from my own savings and pension. I am completely against the use of money power for electoral gains,” said Independent candidate Sudhansu Sekhar Das who is contesting from Bhubaneswar LS seat.
Money power
28 per cent candidates in the electoral race in the Capital region crorepatis
Of them, four are from BJD while three each are from BJP and Congress
Bbsr North BJD candidate Susant Kumar Rout richest with Rs 21.76 crore assets
BJP Central candidate Jagannath Pradhan 2nd richest with total assets of Rs 17.46 crore
BJP’s Ekamra Bhubaneswar candidate Babu Singh 3rd richest with assets worth Rs 11.85 crore
4 of 17 candidates who filed their nominations for Bbsr LS seat are crorepatis
