Thaindian News

Kolkata, April 21 (IANS) The third phase of West Bengal assembly elections April 27, spread over the North and South 24 Parganas and Kolkata districts, will witness 31 ‘crorepatis’ (millionaires) among the 280 candidates in the fray, according an election watchdog.

As per a report prepared by West Bengal Election Watch (WBEW) on the assets and income details of 280 candidates, on the basis of the affidavits filed by the candidates along with their nomination papers, 31 out of 280 candidates - around 11 percent - have assets in excess of a crore.

Almost half (16) of these crorepatis are from Trinamool Congress, six from the Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M), seven from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and one each from Forward Bloc and Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP).

The crorepati list is headed by Trinamool’s Kasturi Das from Maheshtala constituency in South 24 Parganas, followed by Amit Kumar Mitra again of Trinamool from Khardaha. Both have assets worth over Rs.7 crore each.

Seven of the 280 candidates analysed have liabilities in excess of Rs.25 lakh. The list is topped by BJP’s Shatorupa from South Kolkata’s Ballugunge constituency who has liabities in excess of Rs.1 crore.

Altogether 104 candidates have not filed their income tax returns, with several of them having assets in excess of a crore. The list contains the names of Trinamool’s Jiban Mukhopadhyay from Sonarpur Dakshin in South 24 Parganas and BJP’s Sukhranjan Bepari from North 24 Parganas’ Gaighata.

Alongside the crorepati candidates, there are candidates who have assets under Rs. 500. BSP’s Tapas Sarkar from Barrackpore constituency has assets only of Rs.200 while the young CPI-M nominee from Kasba, Shatarup Ghosh has assets worth just Rs. 309.