Gujarat has turned into a battle ground for several millionaire candidates, who are in fray for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.
Khimji Patadia, contesting as an independent from Surendranagar, takes the lead. He has declared assets worth Rs 514 crore probably making him the richest candidate in the country in the upcoming general elections.
BJP's richest candidate in the state from Navsari constituency C R Patil has declared assets worth Rs 20 crore while his rival from Congress, the richest from the party in the state, Dhansukh Rajput has declared assets of Rs 12.72 crore.
Congress candidate from Chotaudepur constituency (reserved) and union minister of state for railway Naranbhai Rathwa has declared assets worth Rs 1.25 crore while his rival Ramsingh Rathwa from BJP had declared assets worth Rs 1.04 crore.
Naranbhai has been contesting and winning the polls from this constituency, covering Vadodara, Narmada and Panchmahals districts since 1989 except for in 1999 when he lost to Ramsingh.
Prabhaben Taviad, Congress nominee from Dohad (reserved) has declared assets worth Rs 1.5 crore while BJP candidate from the constituency, Somjibhai Damor, who quit Congress in 2004, has declared assets worth Rs one crore.
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Damor has won from the constituency seven times on a Congress ticket but when he was denied a ticket in 2004, quit and contested as an independent.
Damor, however, lost to BJP's Babubhai Katara, who has been suspended for being involved in human trafficking.
He joined the BJP, two days before filing nominations and is now contesting against Congress's Taviad.
BJP's prime ministerial candidate L K Advani, contesting from Gandhinagar constituency has declared assets worth Rs 3.5 crore. Congress's Suresh Patel, pitted against Advani has assets worth Rs 2.78 crore.
Congress candidates from Junagadh and Porbandar, sitting MP Jasubhai Barad and Vitthal Radaria have declared assets worth Rs 2.64 crore and Rs 2.15 crore while their rivals from BJP, Dinu Bhai Solanki and Naran Khachariya have assets worth Rs 2.25 crore and Rs 5.60 respectively.
Other BJP candidates with assets in crores include Kirit Solanki (Ahmedabad East, Rs 2.66 crore), Kiran Patel (Rajkot, Rs 6.17 crore), Lalji Mer (Surendranagar, Rs 1.19 crore) and D C Patel (Bulsar, Rs 1.90 crore).
Congress millionaire candidates include Dipak Babariya (Ahmedabad East, Rs 3.15 crore), Satyajit Gaekwad (Vadodara, 3.95 crore), Dhiru Gajera (Surat, Rs 4.28 crore), Vikram Madam (Jamnagar, Rs 1.59 crore), Nilaben Thumar (Amreli, Rs 1.36 crore), Union Minister of state for Petroleum and Natural Gas, Dinsha Patel (Kheda, Rs 2.77 crore), Union Textile Minister Shankersinh Vaghela (Panchmahals Rs 1.15 crore) and Bharatsinh Solanki (Anand, Rs 2.25 crore).