At least two crorepatis are in the fray for the zilla parishad elections in Kendrapada district while over 12 other candidates contesting the panchayat elections own assets worth over Rs 50 lakh, according to affidavits furnished by the contestants to the State Election Commission.
The two crorepatis are among the 117 candidates in the Kendrapada zilla parishad poll battle contesting either under party symbols or as independents.
BJD candidate Pradipta Gahan of zilla parishad zone-25 in Marshaghai block is the richest of the candidates in the district owning movable and immovable assets worth Rs 2.2 crore.
Gahan, a businessman, possesses two luxury vehicles, seven trucks besides jewellery, savings, insurance policies, houses and agricultural and housing plots. However, he owes loans of Rs 1.68 crore to banking and financial institutions.
Jyotsnarani Jena, a housewife, contesting from ZP zone-8 as the BJD candidate, possesses assets worth Rs 2.1 crore which include two housing plots in Bhubaneswar and a luxury vehicle worth Rs 8.5 lakh. Her liability to banks and financial institutions are Rs 84 lakh.
More than 12 candidates in the fray own property worth over Rs 50 lakh or above. Swapnarani Khandua, BJP nominee for ZP zone-16 in Pattamundai block, is in personal and joint possession of Rs 82 lakh of movable and immovable assets.
The average asset per candidate is Rs 19.11 lakh. However, 12 of them own nothing or negligible assets, according to their affidavits.
Of the 117 candidates in the fray the 32 ZP zones, eight have declared criminal cases against them. Four candidates having criminal cases are from the Congress, while two are from the BJD. The BJP accounts for one such candidate while the other one is an independent aspirant.