Guj polls: 30 per cent phase-1 candidates 'crorepatis'

Ahmedabad, Dec 4: Thirty per cent of

in fray for the first phase of the Assembly polls are 'crorepatis', the affidavits analysed by Association for Democratic Reforms and

Watch have found. A total of 147 candidates out of the 482 candidates, whose affidavits have been analysed out of total 846 in the first phase of Gujarat Assembly elections to be held on Dec 13, are "crorepatis", the analysis reveals.

While 39 candidates have declared assets less than Rs 1 lakh, 47 have declared liabilities of Rs 50 lakh or above. The average asset per candidate for Congress is Rs 6.40 crore, for BJP is Rs 4.48 crore and for GPP is Rs 1.07 crore. Total 103 (21 per cent) candidates, analysed in the first phase of 2012 state assembly elections, have not declared their Permanent Account Number (PAN) details. The candidate with the highest asset and liability is Indranil Rajguru, Congress candidate from Rajkot East constituency, possessing assets worth Rs 122 crore and declaring liabilities of Rs 27.14 crore.

Congress candidate from Manavadar Assembly seat in Junagadh district, Javaharbhai Chavda, has assets worth Rs 82 crore while Rajabhai Parmar, contesting on Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) ticket from Somnath Assembly constituency in Junagadh district, possesses assets worth Rs 40 crore. GPP's Mineshbhai Patel, who has been fielded from Valsad Assembly constituency, has declared that he has no assets while Bismilla Abdulkhan Pathan, contesting as an independent candidate from Rajkot South constituency, has assets worth Rs 1,000 only.

Regarding analysis of Income Tax (I-T) returns of candidates in fray for the first phase of state assembly polls, BJP candidate from Rajula Assembly constituency in Amreli district, Hirabhai Solanki, has declared the highest income of Rs 3.41 crore in his last I-T return. GPP candidate from Katargam constituency in Surat, Ghanshyam Italiya, has also declared income of Rs 3.41 crore in his last I-T return.

BJP candidate from Dwarka Assembly constituency in Jamnagar district, Pabubha Manek, has declared income of Rs 3.25 crore, according to the last I-T returns filed by the candidate and accessed by Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR). Close to 50 per cent candidates, 240 out of 482 candidates, have declared that they have never filed I-T returns. Out of the 240 candidates who have never filed I-T returns, GPP has 35 (42 per cent) candidates, Congress 16 (19 per cent) candidates and BJP 12 (14 per cent) candidates. The candidates, who possess maximum assets but have never filed I-T returns include BSP candidate from Somnath constituency, Rajabhai Parmar, with total assets worth Rs 40.75 crore.

NCP candidate from Kutiyana seat in Porbandar district, Kandhal Jadeja, son of late Godmother 'Santokhben Jadeja', has declared assets worth Rs 28.29 crore without having ever filed I-T returns. Porbandar MP Vithalbhai Radadiya, who was recently in news for gun-toting toll plaza employees on Vadodara highway, has assets worth Rs 5.62 crore but has never filed I-T returns. Radadiya, who has several cases against his name, is Congress candidate from Dhoraji Assembly constituency in Rajkot district and is one of the three Congress MPs in fray for getting elected to the 182-member state legislative Assembly.

PTI