15 ‘Crorepati’ Candidates Vie for Assam’s Lok Sabha Seats in Upcoming Elections”

As Assam braces for its impending Lok Sabha elections scheduled for April 19, a noteworthy trend has emerged, with 15 ‘crorepati’ candidates throwing their hats into the ring for the five parliamentary seats up for grabs. Among the 35 contenders in the electoral fray, 15 have disclosed assets surpassing Rs one crore, with independent candidate Diluwara Begum Chowdhury leading the affluent pack, contesting from the prestigious Kaziranga constituency.

The five constituencies heading to the polls encompass Jorhat, Kaziranga, Dibrugarh, Sonitpur, and Lakhimpur. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leads the lineup with five candidates, trailed by three from the Congress, two from the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), and one each from the All India Trinamool Congress (AITC) and Bharatiya Gana Parishad (BGP). Additionally, three independents are also vying for victory.

A breakdown of the candidates’ average assets reveals that AAP nominees top the charts with an average worth of Rs six crore, followed by BJP contenders boasting over Rs four crore in assets. Congress candidates boast an average of Rs three crore, while both AITC and BGP candidates declare assets averaging Rs one crore each.

Independent candidate Diluwara Begum Chowdhury, whose wealth stems from ownership of fuel stations, commands attention with total assets exceeding Rs 17.58 crore, a substantial portion of which is tied up in immovable assets. AAP’s Manoj Dhanowar and Rishiraj Kaundinya also prominently feature among the ‘crorepati’ candidates, showcasing substantial financial heft.

In the BJP camp, Sonitpur nominee Ranjit Dutta emerges as the wealthiest candidate, closely trailed by Union Minister Sarbananada Sonowal and incumbent MP Topon Gogoi. Meanwhile, in the Congress contingent, Uday Shankar Hazarika and Gaurav Gogoi lead the asset declaration, with Premlal Ganju not far behind.

Independent candidates Pradip Bhandari and Abdul Hoque, alongside contenders from smaller parties such as Trinamool Congress and Bharatiya Gana Parishad, also boast substantial assets.

However, amidst the opulence, some candidates declare considerably lesser assets, with two contestants from the Kaziranga constituency reporting assets below Rs one lakh. SUCI(C)’s Lakhimpur candidate, Pallab Pegu, claims the least with Rs 38,169 in assets, highlighting a spectrum of financial standings among the aspirants vying for political ascendancy.