Nearly 18% of candidates in Kerala are crorepatis: Report

Of the top 3 crorepartis, 2 are from AIADMK, while one belongs to NCP

Nearly 18% candidates contesting elections in Kerala are crorepatis. There are about 202 crorepatis among a total of 1,125 candidates. 

The richest candidate is Biju Ramesh with assets over Rs 188 crore. He is representing Tamil Nadu-based AIADMK. Ramesh is followed by an NCP leader and an AIADMK candidate with assets of Rs 92 crore and Rs 54 crore, respectively. 

Kerala Election Watch and Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR) has analysed the self-sworn affidavits of 1,125 out of the 1,203 candidates who are contesting in the Kerala Assembly Elections to be held on May 16, 2016 (78 Candidates were not analysed due to unclear affidavits available on the website of the ECI & CEO, Kerala).

Out of the 1,125 candidates, 202 (18%) are crorepatis including 43 (51%) out of 85 candidates from INC, 24 (29%) out of 84 candidates from CPI(M), 18 (19%) out of 97 candidates from BJP, 18 (50%) out of 36 candidates from Bharath Dharma Jana Sena, 2 (29%) out of 7 candidates from AIADMK, 17 (74%) out of 23 candidates from IUML, 9 (60%) out of 15 candidates from Kerala Congress (M) and 30 (8%) out of 387 Independent candidates have declared assets worth Rs 1 crore and above in their affidavits.

The average of assets per candidate contesting in the Kerala Assembly Elections is Rs 1.28 crore.

Among major parties, the average assets per candidate for 85 INC candidates is Rs 1.83 crore, 97 BJP candidates have average assets of Rs 1.03 crore, 84 CPI(M) candidates have average assets worth Rs 1.51 crore, 7 AIADMK candidates have average assets of Rs 35.14 crore, 36 Bharath Dharma Jana Sena candidates have average assets worth Rs 3.19 crore, 25 CPI candidates have average assets worth Rs 71.16 lakh, average assets of 23 IUML candidates is Rs 4.21 crore, 15 Kerala Congress (M) candidates have average assets of Rs 3.16 crores, 7 JD(U) candidates have average assets of Rs 5.25 crore, 5 JD(S) candidates have average assets of Rs 4.59 crore and 387 Independent candidates have average assets of Rs. 43.87 lakh.

Seven independent candidates have declared zero assets in their self sworn affidavits.

Biju Ramesh, who is contesting on behalf of AIADMK at Thiruvanathapuram, assets worth is estimated at over Rs 188 crore, he was followed by Thomas Candy of NCP who is contesting from Kuttanad with assets worth over Rs 92 crore and C Abdul Kader of AIADMK contesting in Peerumade constitutency whose assets estimated to be Rs 54 crore plus.

Nearly four% of the candidates are having assets over Rs 5 crore, while five% of value of assets are having worth Rs 2-5 crore, 23% are having assets worth Rs 50 lakh to Rs 2 crore and the balance is rest.

Out of the 1125 candidates, 311 (28%) candidates have declared criminal cases against themselves.