Half a dozen candidates from among the top 10 richest candidates in the fray in the ongoing Lok Sabha elections are from the Congress, according to the National Election Watch (NEW) and the Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR).
While Ramesh Kumar Sharma, an Independent from Patliputra, is in pole position with declared assets worth over Rs 1,107 crore, the second, third, fourth and fifth slots are captured by Congress nominees.
The second in the list is Konda Vishweshwar Reddy, the Congress candidate from Chevella in Telangana, with total asset of Rs 895 crore.
Nakul Nath, the Congress nominee from Chhindwara, is the third richest in the fray with assets worth Rs 660 crore, followed by another Congressman H Vasanthakumar in the fourth spot, who is contesting from Kanyakumari in Tamil Nadu with assets of over Rs 417 crore.
With assets worth over Rs 374 crore, Congress leader Jyotiraditya Scindia, who is seeking re-election from Guna, is fifth. He was richest in recently concluded sixth phase.
YSR Congress Party’s Vijayawada candidate is in the sixth position with assets worth over Rs 347 crore. Congress leaders Uday Singh, contesting from Purnia in Bihar, and DK Suresh, contesting from Bangalore Rural in Karnataka, are seventh and eighth in the list with assets worth Rs 341 crore and Rs 338 crore, respectively.
K Raghu Rama Krishna Raju, the YSRCP candidate from Narsapuram, is ninth with assets worth over Rs 325 crore, while TDP’s Jayadev Galla, who is contesting from Guntur, is in the 10th spot with assets worth over Rs 305 crore.
According to ADR, as many as 48 per cent contesting the 2019 Lok Sabha polls have declared graduation and above educational qualifications. Of the 7,928 candidates, 3,808 (48 per cent) have declared graduation and above educational qualifications.
“While 3,477 (44 per cent) have declared their educational qualifications between Class V and Class XII pass, 3,808 (48 per cent), graduation and above,” the ADR said. While 253 candidates have declared themselves to be just literate, 163 candidates are illiterate.