The Hindu, April 13, 2009
Bhubaneswar (PTI): A total 27 crorepatis are in the fray in Orissa, which will witness simultaneous Lok Sabha and state assembly polls, with the Congress candidate from Puri parliamentary seat being the richest.
Pinaki Mishra's movable and immovable assets are valued at Rs 29 crore the affidavit filed by him to the returning officer said.
The ruling BJD and Congress have 7 crorepati candidates each, while BJP has 3, BSP 4, besides 3 independents, Samajwadi Party 1, Biro Oriya Party 1 and JSP 1.
Mishra is followed by party collegue Dhananjay Sidhu contesting from Keonjhar who has assets of total Rs 27 crore.
BJD's Baijayanta Panda candidate from Kendrapara has assets of Rs 17 crore, BJP's Bikaram Keshari Deo from Kalahandi and BJD's Bhartruhari Mahtab from Cuttack have Rs 5 crore assets each, the sources said.
BJP candidate from Balangir seat Sangeeta Singhdeo, who has at least 3 criminal cases against her, including one for rioting, has assets of Rs 4 crore.
Among the rich in the fray for the first phase assembly polls on April 16, Kalikote's erstwhile Queen V Sugnana Kumari Deo, a BJD candidate from Kavisurya Nagar seat, has an asset of Rs 9,29,34304. Coming behind her is Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik with his asset of Rs 7,89,97,076 and BJD's nominee from Rairakhol, Prasanna Acharya whose assets are valued at Rs 6,04,5,025.
A total 20 assembly candidates are in the crorepati club in which ruling BJD has 10, Congress 6, BJP 3 members besides a lone independent.
Among the 20 candidates who have declared the lowest assets none belong to the BJD, Congress or BJP, the sources said.
There are 4 candidates of BSP, 2 from JMM and 1 from Lok Jan Shakti Party in this list.
According to Ranjan Mohanty, the convenor of Orissa chapter of election watch, there are 37 candidates having high assets or liabilities but no PAN cards.
For instance, the BJD contestant from Keonjhar Yasbanta Narayan Laguri has total assets of Rs 5,75,000, but liabilities were found to be Rs 1 crore. He does not have a PAN card.
Similarly, Congress strongman and former MP Ramachandra Rath, contesting from Aska Lok Sabha seat, has assets of Rs 59,64,003 while his liabilities are Rs 7,50,000. Rath, a three-time MP, also does have a PAN card.
Among the senior leaders who did not mention regarding their PAN numbers in their affidavits were BJP sitting MP Kharabela Swain, its Kandhamal candidate Ashok Sahu and Kendrapara contestant Archana Nayak.
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