Contesting in the poll has become a costly affair now- a-days. The contestants spend lakhs of rupees to woo the voters by liquor, chicken and cash.
But there are some contestants locking horns with their rivals for the Zilla Parisad( ZP) zone member in Kendrapada district who do not have any property or money.
The State Election Commission has limited the poll expenditure to Rs 5 lakh for a candidate contesting for Zilla Parishad member. Besides a nominee for Zilla Parishad member can use upto five jeeps/ cars and 10 motor cycles (bikes). But if the affidavits submitted by some of the candidates are to be believed, then they are penniless.
As many as four candidates out of 131 who are in the poll fray for Zilla Parisad seats are having neither any bank balance nor any moveable and immovable property. There are two female candidates among the six, who are having zero bank balance.
In Zilla Parisad zone 14, as many as three candidates out of total five do not have a single rupee as deposits as per the affidavits provided by them.
Puspanjali Mallick ( 24) Bahujana Samajwadi Party candidate for ZP zone -14 under Derabish block has cited that she does not have any movable or immovable property.
Even she has zero bank balance. But she is continuing her Master in Arts. She reposes faith on the voters that she would win the poll by getting the blessings of voters and would make her ZP zone corruption-free.
Similarly, the 23-year- old HSC passed out, Dibyaranjan Jena is contesting in ZP zone 14 as an Independent candidate. According to him, he does not have a single rupee bank balance, or movable and immovable property.
As per the affidavit filed by Nimai Charan Jena (56), a Congress candidate for ZP zone -14 , he is a class 8th passout and does not have any bank balance. He doesn't have share or insurance policy. He has no movable and immovable property either.
36-year-old Sagarika Das, who is contesting for ZP zone-8 as an Independent candidate, is also a pauper. She is penniless candidate having zero balance. She does not have any bank balance; neither has she any movable or immpovable property.
Similar is the case with Mami Malik, a BJP candidate for ZP zone -18 , Madhusmita Jena , a BJP candidate for ZP zone -29 , and Rajendra Mallick , an Independent candidate for ZP zone -24. They do not have any immovable or movable property, save a meagre amount deposited in their bank accounts.