1. 15 ‘crorepati’ candidates vie for Assam’s 5 Lok Sabha seats in the April 19 elections.
2. Independent candidate Diluwara Begum Chowdhury leads with declared assets exceeding Rs one crore.
3. Trend underscores the financial diversity among candidates in Assam’s electoral landscape.
Guwahati, April 17: In the upcoming Lok Sabha elections in Assam scheduled for April 19, an intriguing trend has surfaced, with 15 ‘crorepati’ candidates entering the fray for the five parliamentary seats.
Among the total of 35 candidates contesting, these individuals have declared assets surpassing Rs one crore, with independent candidate Diluwara Begum Chowdhury leading the group as the wealthiest contender, competing for the Kaziranga constituency.
The Battle for Seats: Constituencies and Candidates
The five constituencies up for grabs are Jorhat, Kaziranga, Dibrugarh, Sonitpur, and Lakhimpur. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) stands at the forefront with five candidates, trailed by three from the Congress, two from the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), and one each from the All India Trinamool Congress (AITC) and Bharatiya Gana Parishad (BGP). Additionally, three independent candidates have also thrown their hats into the ring.
Wealth Distribution among Political Parties
The average assets of AAP candidates top the charts at Rs six crore, followed by BJP candidates with over Rs four crore, Congress candidates with Rs three crore, and both AITC and BGP candidates with Rs one crore each.
Noteworthy Candidates and Asset Holdings
Independent candidate Diluwara Begum Chowdhury, a proprietor of fuel stations, commands the spotlight with total assets exceeding Rs 17.58 crore, a significant portion of which comprises immovable assets. Notable figures among the ‘crorepati’ candidates also include AAP’s Manoj Dhanowar and Rishiraj Kaundinya.
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Wealthy Contenders in Major Political Parties
In the BJP camp, Sonitpur nominee Ranjit Dutta emerges as the wealthiest, closely followed by Union Minister Sarbananda Sonowal and sitting MP Topon Gogoi. Meanwhile, in the Congress ranks, Uday Shankar Hazarika and Gaurav Gogoi lead the declaration of assets, followed closely by Premlal Ganju.
Representation from Smaller Parties and Independents
Independent candidates Pradip Bhandari and Abdul Hoque, along with contenders from smaller parties like Trinamool Congress and Bharatiya Gana Parishad, also boast substantial assets.
Disparities in Asset Declarations
However, some candidates have reported considerably lesser assets, with two contestants from the Kaziranga constituency declaring assets below Rs one lakh. SUCI(C)’s Lakhimpur candidate, Pallab Pegu, stands at the bottom of the list, declaring the least with Rs 38,169.
As Assam gears up for the Lok Sabha elections, the prevalence of ‘crorepati’ candidates underscores the financial dimension of political competition in the state. With significant disparities in asset declarations, the battle for parliamentary seats in Assam promises to be an intriguing one, shaped by wealth, power, and political ambition.
