Jharkhand Election Phase 2 | Who's The ₹400 Crore Candidate Leading Jharkhand's Rich List?

As the second phase of the 2024 Jharkhand Assembly elections approaches, scheduled for November 20, a significant number of wealthy candidates are gearing up to contest.

Among them, the richest contender has declared assets exceeding ₹400 crore, showcasing the growing influence of affluent individuals in state politics.

Photo Credit: X/@AquilAkhtarMLA

The Richest Candidate: Aquil Akhtar's ₹400 Crore Wealth

According to a report by the Alternative Dispute Redressal (ADR), the wealthiest candidate for Phase 2 of the elections is Samajwadi Party's (SP) Aquil Akhtar, who is contesting from the Pakur constituency. Akhtar's total declared assets amount to a staggering ₹400 crore, making him a key player in the race. Of his total assets, nearly ₹99 lakh is attributed to movable assets, while the majority - over ₹400 crore - comes from immovable properties.

Other Wealthy Contenders

Following Akhtar in wealth is Niranjan Rai, an independent candidate from the Dhanwar seat, who has declared assets worth ₹137 crore. Rai also holds the distinction of having the highest declared income in his income tax returns (ITR) among his peers, with ₹15 crore earned from his business ventures.

Third on the list is Mihammad Danish of the Aazad Samaj Party (Kanshi Ram), contesting from Dhanwar, who has assets valued at over ₹32 crores.

A High Number of Crorepatis in the Race

The ADR report reveals that nearly 24% of the 522 candidates contesting in the second phase of the Jharkhand Assembly elections are crorepatis. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has fielded the highest number of wealthy candidates, with 32 crorepatis running for office. This is followed by the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) and Congress, where 90% and 83% of their candidates, respectively, are crorepatis. The BJP, however, has the highest percentage of crorepati candidates among all major parties at 72%.

Candidates with Modest Declarations

Not all candidates are millionaires. For instance, Jharkhand Peoples Party's Elian Hansdak, contesting from the Maheshpur (ST) constituency, has declared zero assets, highlighting the stark contrast between the wealthiest and the most modestly declared candidates in this election.

Conclusion

With just a few days left for Phase 2 of the Jharkhand elections, the race is heating up as crorepatis dominate the field. The candidates' wealth has sparked debate on the growing influence of money in politics, while also drawing attention to the wide disparities in asset declarations among the contenders. Voters in Jharkhand will soon decide which of these wealthy candidates will help shape the future of the state government.