Congress leads crorepati pack contesting Gujarat election

If the first phase of Gujarat election will have 147 crorepatis in fray, the second will see another 150 contesting, says National Election Watch

According to the National Election Watch, 150 (37 per cent) out of 401 candidates (total 820 candidates) contesting in the second phase of elections are crorepatis.
 
The top three candidates with the highest assets are:

Balvantsinh Chadansinh Rajput (Congress) from Sidhpur constituency has declared assets worth Rs 268 crore

Siddharth Chimanbhai Patel (Congress) from Dabhoi constituency has assets worth Rs 71 crore

D D Patel (BJP) from Mansa constituency has assets worth Rs. 69 crore.

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There are about 19 candidates who have declared assets less than Rs 1 lakh. The three candidates with lowest assets are:

* Balwantbhai Gopalbhai Solanki (Samajwadi Party) from Kalol constituency who has no assets

* Ashvinnbhai Sajabhai Muli (Gujarat Parivartan Party) from Danta (ST) constituency has assets worth Rs 500 only

* Narshibhai Natubhai Vankar (Bahujan Samaj Party) from Sojitra constituency has assets worth Rs 3,745.

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Of the 401 candidates whose details were assessed, 33 candidates have declared liabilities of Rs 50 lakh or above. The notable among them are:

* Balvantsinh Chandansinh Rajput, Congress candidate from Sidhpur, has liabilities worth Rs 52.33 crore

* Manibhai J Vaghela, Congress candidate from Vadgam constituency, has liabilities worth Rs 13.98 crore

* Patel Dineshbhai Balubhai, BJP candidate from Padra constituency, has liabilities worth Rs 11.53 crore.

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An analysis of the financial details of the candidates contesting the second phase of elections revealed the following:

* Balwantsinh Chandansinh Rajput (Congress) from Sidhpur constituency has declared the highest income of Rs 2.40 crore for the year financial year 2011-12.

* Saurabh Yashvantbhai Patel (BJP) from Akota constituency and has declared an income of Rs. 1.40 crore.

* 181 candidates (45%) have declared that they have never filed income tax returns. The BJP has 18 (20%) out of 92 candidates, Congress 19 (22%) out of 88 candidates, GPP 32 (44%) out of 73 candidates, BSP 62 (85%) out of 73 candidates, and JD-U 21(70%) out of 30 candidates.

* Top 3 candidates with maximum assets but who have declared that they have never filed IT returns are Dilipkumar Virajibhai Thakor (BJP) -- Rs. 4.73 crore; Kantibhai M Sodhaparmar (Congress) -- Rs. 4.41 crore; and Mangalbhai Shankarjbhai Gohil (GPP) -- Rs 3.73 crore.

* The average assets of candidates who are re-contesting in 2012 is Rs 9.31 crore. In 2007, it was Rs 2.35 crore.

* Those among the re-contesting candidates whose assets have grown substantially since the 2007 election are Balvantsinh Chandansinh Rajput (Congress), whose assets grew from Rs 34.66 crore in 2007 to Rs 268.40 crore in 2012; Patel Dineshbhai Balubhai (BJP), whose assets grew from Rs 4.51 crore in 2007 to Rs 39.41 crore in 2012; and Aacharya Dr Nimaben Bhavesbhai (BJP), whose assets have risen from Rs 2.34 crore in 2007 to Rs 34.64 crore in 2012.