Of the 133 candidates contesting the first phase polls on Monday,...
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Of the 133 candidates contesting the first phase polls on Monday, Trinamool Congress’ Samir Chakraborty is the richest. Chakraborty, who is contesting from Bankura’s Taldangra, has assets worth more than Rs 40 crore.
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Kolkata: Of the 133 candidates contesting the first phase polls on Monday, Trinamool Congress’ Samir Chakraborty is the richest. Chakraborty, who is contesting from Bankura’s Taldangra, has assets worth more than Rs 40 crore. As per his affidavit filed with the returning officer, he had an income of over Rs 1 crore in 2014-15. Twenty one candidates have criminal cases registered against them.
Both Chakraborty and his wife Krishna, former Bidhannagar civic body chief, have jewellery and bullion of Rs 17 lakh (approximately) each. His immovable properties, including the houses in Salt Lake and New Town, are worth over Rs 11 crore.
Chakraborty’s rival — CPM’s Amiya Patra — who has assets worth more than Rs 59 lakh is yet to submit his I-T return details. CPM candidate in West Midnapore’s Gopiballavpur, Pulin Behari Baske, too didn’t submit the details. He reportedly owns assets worth more than Rs 95 lakh.
Meanwhile, an analysis by West Bengal Election Watch and Association for Democratic Reforms found that the average net worth of the candidates contesting on Monday is Rs 47.8 lakh. However, 30% did not disclose their PAN details.
Two Trinamool candidates — Dibyajyoti Prasad Singh Deo from Purulia and Sukumar Hansda from Jhargram — have assets worth more than Rs 2 crore. Dibyajyoti has the highest liability too — Rs 71 lakh. The affidavit details also revealed that BJP candidate of Raipur (Bankura), Sudhangshu Hansda, has a bank loan of Rs 16 lakh.
The analysis has also brought to fore some interesting facts. While BSP’s Pabitra Bauri, who is contesting from Purulia’s Para seat, has ‘zero’ asset, SUCI candidates from Balarampur and Manbazar in Purulia and Binpur in West Midnapore have assets worth less than than Rs 1,000. The party’s Balarampur candidate Dipak Kumar claimed that he was a social worker. His declared asset is Rs 500. “I survive on the party’s dole. The party pays my mobile bill too. The supporters are funding me in the election.”
“Of the 21 candidates with criminal cases, 17 are involved in serious crimes like murder, rape and dacoity,” the analysis revealed. Shyam Sundar Pandey of CPM, who is contesting from Salboni, tops this list with two murder charges (IPC 302). There is an attempt to murder charge (IPC 307) against Chunibala Hansda of Jharkhand Party (Naren).