JOIN USForty-seven per cent of candidates in the electoral fray to the Maharashtra Assembly are crorepatis.
This is according to an analysis of only half of the self-sworn affidavits from 4,119 candidates in the elections to the 288-seat Assembly. Private election watchdogs Association for Democratic Rights (ADR) and National Election Watch (NEW) have come out with these figures and have so far studied 2,336 affidavits.
Maharashtra is witnessing one of the fiercest electoral battles with the collapse of the long-term Congress-NCP and BJP-Shiv Sena coalitions, giving regional parties and Independents a fighting chance.
Altogether, the Congress, NCP, BJP, Shiv Sena and MNS have fielded 1,318 candidates, out of which 958 are crorepatis. The total number of crorepati candidates is 1,095. This is an increase by 594 candidates compared to the 2009 polls, part of which could be attributed to the collapse of alliances and all four main parties fielding candidates separately. The highest number of crorepati candidates come from the NCP, while the lowest is from the MNS.
“Two hundred and twenty-two (77 per cent) of 287 candidates from the Congress, 197 (71 per cent) of 278 candidates from the Shiv Sena, 229 (83 per cent) of 277 from NCP, 210 (81 per cent) of 258 candidates analysed from BJP and 100 (46 per cent) of 218 candidates from the MNS are crorepatis,” the analysis said.
However, the richest of all candidates is BJP’s Dindoshi candidate 30-year-old Mohit Kambhoj, who has assets worth Rs 353 crore and an assessed Rs 316 crore in liabilities. Kambhoj, who is into real estate, bullion and jewellery, has been charged in a case of unauthorised construction.
The second richest is from the Shiv Sena, Dr Nandkumar Yadavrao Tasgaonkar, who is contesting from Phaltan with assets worth Rs 211 crore. Six other candidates also have assets worth over Rs 100 crore.