Bhubaneswar: One Independent candidate having zero assets is contesting election against Chief Minister and BJD president Naveen Patnaik from Kantabanji Assembly segment that is going to poll on May 20.
Sohan Sipka, the Independent nominee has declared in his affidavits that he owns no movable and immovable assets, according to the report of Odisha Election Watch.
Abhiram Dharua from Kantabanji Assembly segment, who is also contesting against CM Naveen Patnaik on All India Forward Bloc party ticket has assets worth Rs 8,000.
Two other Independent candidates having low assets are Pradip Sahu and Satyanarayan Bohidar contesting from Boudh and Titilagarh constituencies respectively. Pradip has declared moveable assets worth Rs 7,000 while Bohidar has assets worth Rs 11,000.
The top 3 candidates with highest declared assets are Dilip Ray, Kaliskesh Singh Deo and Naveen Patnaik.
Dilip Ray (BJP), who is contesting from Rourkela, has declared his assets wort Rs 313 crore followed by BJD’s Kalikesh Singh Deo who has assets worth Rs 73 crore. Chief Minister and BJD supremo contesting from Hinjili and Kantabanji declared his wealth worth Rs 71 crore in his affidavits.
Candidates having high income are Dipali Das (BJD), Dilip Ray (BJP) and Samarendra Mishra (Congress).
As many as 95 of the total 265 candidates contesting 35 Assembly seats in Odisha in the phase 2 poll are crorepaties. Similarly, 13 of the total 40 candidates in the fray in five Lok Sabha seats are crorepatis.
According to the report of Odisha Election Watch, Party-wise, the ruling BJD had 30 crorepatis followed by 24 each in BJP and Congress and three from APP which had fielded candidates in ten assembly seats. The three major political parties are contesting all the 35 Assembly seats.
Interestingly ten independents contesting the Assembly elections in the second phase are also crorepatis, also one each from the CPI and CPM.
