Sangeeta Singh Deo, Naveen Patnaik among richest candidates in fray in 2nd phase polls

Bhubaneswar: As many as 81 candidates contesting in constituencies going for polls in the second phase in Odisha are crorepatis, with Biju Janata Dal (BJD) President and Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik topping the list among Assembly candidates while BJP's Sangeeta Singh Deo being the richest among Lok Sabha candidates, said a report released by Odisha Election Watch and Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR) today.

Out of the 35 Lok Sabha candidates, 11 have assets worth over Rs 1 crore. In total, there are 279 candidates who will be contesting from 5 Lok Sabha and 35 Assembly constituencies that will be going to polls in the second phase.

As per the ADR report, BJP's Bolangir Lok Sabha candidate Sangeeta Kumari Singh Deo has assets over Rs 37 crore, while BJD candidate from the same Lok Sabha seat Kalikesh Narayan Singh Deo has assets over Rs 20 crore.

Among BJD heavyweights, Bargarh Lok Sabha candidate Prasanna Acharya owns total assets worth over Rs 9 crore.

The average of assets per candidate in fray in constituencies going to polls in the second phase is Rs 2.65 crore, the report said.

The ADR report also analysed the affidavits submitted by 241 out of the 244 candidates contesting for 35 Assembly segments. Seventy of these candidates are crorepatis.

Naveen Patnaik, who is contesting from two Assembly constituencies - Hinjili and Bijepur - owns assets worth Rs 63.87 crore.

While the BJP candidate from Patnagarh Assembly seat, KV Singh Deo has total assets of Rs 37.95 crore, BJD candidate from Jharsuguda, Naba Kishore Das, owns assets worth Rs 33.62 crore.

Among the Assembly candidates, 21 from BJD, 20 from BJP, 13 from Congress, and one from Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) have declared assets worth more than Rs 1 crore.

The second phase of polls will be held in Bargarh, Sundergarh, Bolangir, Kandhamal and Aska Lok Sabha seats and 35 Assembly seats under them on April 18.

(With IANS inputs)