BJP's Dilip Kumar Ray(L) and BJP chief and Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik.
Credit: X/@DilipRayOdisha and PTI Photo
Odisha on Monday went to polls for 28 Assembly seats and also four Lok Sabha constituencies. The next round of voting will see 265 candidates in fray for 35 more seats in the state.
According to a report by the Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR) and Odisha Election Watch, 95 of the total 265 candidates in 35 assembly segments going to pools on May 20 are 'crorepatis'. With parties and candidates spending quite a lot on their campaigns, let's take a look at the five richest candidates for Phase 2 of voting in the eastern state.
Dilip Kumar Ray
Credit: X/@DilipRayOdisha
BJP's Dilip Kumar Ray, who is contesting from the Rourkela seat in the Sundargarh district, is the richest candidate with Rs 260.03 crore (Rs 2,60,03,34,845) worth of movable assets and Rs 53,50,00,000 worth of immovable assets. His total assets are in excess of Rs 313 crore.
Kalikesh Narayan Singh Deo
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BJD's Kalikesh Narayan Singh Deo has listed a total of Rs 73.66 crore as assets — Rs 34,40,19,577 as movable assets and Rs 39,26,79,600 worth of immovable assets. Singh Deo is contesting from Bolangir constituency from the Bolangir district.
Naveen Patnaik
Credit: PTI File Photo
The state CM and BJD chief Patnaik, who is contesting from both Kantabanji and Hinjili — in Bolangir and Ganjam district respectively — is the third richest candidate in the second phase. Patnaik has declared Rs 14,05,60,364 as movable assets and Rs 57,02,18,000 as immovable assets. His total assets are therefore a little over Rs 71 crore.
Kanak Vardhan Singh Deo
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BJPs' Kanak Vardhan Singh Deo is the next one on the list who is contesting from Patnagarh in Bolangir district. He has movable assets worth Rs7,78,60,629 and immovable assets worth Rs 59,52,00,000. His total assets are pegged at Rs 67 crore.
Saroj Kumar Meher
Saroj Kumar Meher
Credit: Facebook
BJD'S Saroj Kumar Meher is the fifth candidate on the list with assets worth Rs 62 crore. His immovable assets amount to Rs 61,00,78,007 and the movable assets are worth Rs 1,27,18,220. Meher is contesting from the Patnagarh seat.
The ADR report said that the average assets per candidate contesting in the Odisha Assembly elections (Phase 2) is Rs 3.98 crore.
Among major parties, the average asset per candidate for 35 BJD candidates is Rs 12.09 crore, 33 Congress nominees analysed is Rs 2.95 crore, 35 BJP candidates Rs 13.11 crore and 10 AAP candidates Rs 95.89 lakh. (Data sourced from ADR report )
(With PTI inputs)