PUDUCHERRY: Former MLA and Independent candidate G Nehru contesting from Orleanpet is the wealthiest candidate in the Puducherry elections with assets of Rs 43.93 crores, followed by All India NR Congress (AINRC) founder President and former Chief Minister N Rangasamy with Rs 38.39 crores.
Pradesh Congress Committee President A V Subramanian, the former Minister contesting from Karaikal – North, is next with assets of Rs 27.68 crores, followed by A John Kumar of the BJP contesting from Kamraj Nagar with assets of Rs 26.69 crores, according to analysis done by Puducherry Election Watch in association with Association for Democratic Reforms.
P N R Thirumurugan, the AINRC candidate contesting from Karaikal-North, has declared assets of Rs 26.53 crores, which is just a little lower than his opponent Subramanian.
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Former PWD Minister A Namassivayam, who is contesting on a BJP ticket from Mannadipet, has declared assets of Rs 25 crores, while DMK South Convenor R Siva who is contesting from Villianur, has declared assets of Rs 20 crores. DMK rebel candidate Geetha Anandan who is contesting as an independent from Neravy T R Pattinam against the DMK official candidate M Naga Thiagarajan has declared assets of Rs 20.96 crores.
A total of 74 out of 324 candidates contesting the elections have declared assets worth over Rs 1 crore.
Among other former ministers, S P Sivakumar, the DMK candidate from Raj Bhavan, has declared assets of Rs 10.81 crores, former Welfare Minister M Candassamy, INC candidate from Embalam-SC, has declared assets of Rs 8.11 crores, former Local Administration minister C Jayakumar, NR Congress candidate from Mangalam, has declared assets of Rs 8.88 crores, former Revenue Minister MOHF Shajanan (INC), contesting from Kamaraj Nagar, has declared assets of Rs 2.17 crores, while former minister P Rajavelu, NR Congress candidate, contesting from Nettapakkam-SC, has declared assets of Rs 1.29 crores.
Former minister K Lakshminarayanan, NR Congress candidate from Raj Bhavan, has declared assets worth Rs 2.52 crores, former Local Administration minister N G Paneerselvam, the NR Congress candidate from Oulgaret, has declared assets of Rs 3.31 crores, former Agriculture Minister R Kamalakannan, the INC candidate from Thirunallar, has declared assets of Rs 2.78 crores, former Welfare Minister P Angalan, contesting as independent from Thirubuvanai-SC, has declared assets of Rs 1.54 crores, and former Health Minister A M H Nazeem, the DMK candidate for Karaikal South, has declared assets of Rs 51 lakhs.