The average asset of candidates contesting Assembly elections in Assam has increased to Rs 2.10 crore, up from Rs 1.37 crore in 2016m and 20 candiates of Badruddin Ajmal's AIUDF topped the list with average declared assets of Rs 9.49 crore each.
This was revealed in an analysis of the affidavits by the Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR), an organisation working for electoral reforms in the country.
Manoranja Brahma of United People's Party Liberal, an ally of BJP topped the list of crorepati candidates with assets worth over Rs 268 crore followed by Rahul Roy (Independent) with over Rs 131 crore and his wife Daisy Roy (also Independent) with assets of more than Rs 130 crore each. Rahul, a candidate in Udarband constituency in South Assam is the son of former Congress minister Gautam Roy, who recently switched to BJP. Gautam and Daisy are candidates in Katigora and Algapur respectively.
Brahma is a businessman and contractor.
Subrata Basumatary of Voters Party International declared lowest asset of Rs 2,500 followed by Kanak Basumatary of the same party (Rs 5,000).
The ADR analysed affidavits of 941 of total 946 candidates contesting the elections for 126 Assembly seats in Assam this time.
The average assets of Congress candidates was found to be Rs 4 crores, Rs 3.85 crore of 29 AGP candidates, Rs 3.51 crore of Bodoland People Front candidates (12 candidates) and Rs 3.40 crore belonging to candidates of BJP.
The report said of the 941 candidates, 264 (28%) are crorepatis. In 2016, out of 1,062 candidates, 237 (22%) were crorepatis.
Education and age:
The ADR report found that 438 candidates (47%) declared their educational qualifications to be between 5th and 12th standard while 487 (52%) candidates declared having an educational qualification of graduate or above.
It said 284(30%) candidates declared their age to be between 25 to 40 years while 526 (56%) candidates have declared their age to be between 41 to 60 years.
Only 76 (8%) candidates are female.
The report was released on Sunday when campaigning for the third and final phase of polling ended. Polling for remaining 40 seats will be conducted on Wednesday (April 6). Polling for 47 seats were held on March 27 and for 39 seats on April 1 when nearly 80% voters exercised their franchise.