By Our Reporter
SHILLONG: As many as 113 candidates contesting in the February 23 elections are crorepatis as compared to 2008, when the number was only 30.
According to the 2013 report of Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR) and Meghalaya Election Watch (MEW) on the financial, criminal education, gender and other details of the candidates contesting the Meghalaya polls, it was stated that out of 341 candidates, about 33 percent of them are crorepatis while in 2008 it was 9 percent only.
Out of the total number of 345 candidates contesting for the upcoming elections, the MEW managed to analyze only 341 of them as the affidavits of the other four are not legible.
The top three candidates with highest declared assets include Congress candidate from Umroi, Ngaitlang Dhar with declared assets worth Rs 235.64 crore followed by Congress candidate from Shella, Jropsingh Nongkhlaw with assets worth Rs 52.01 crore and Metbah Lyngdoh of UDP from Mairang with assets worth Rs 39.29 crore.
Meanwhile, a total of 14 candidates out of the 341 analyzed have declared assets less than Rs 1 lakh and the lowest asset candidate is Charles GR Syngkli of NCP from Nongstoin having only Rs 2,500 followed by HSPDP candidate for Mawhati Hoping Stone Marsharing with assets worth Rs 6,042 and Markus Lyngdoh of HSPDP from Umroi have assets worth Rs 9,067.
The average asset per candidate is Rs 2.54 crore whereas in 2008, for the 325 candidates, the average asset per candidate was Rs 48.30 lakh. Party-wise, 58 percent of Congress candidates are crorepatis compared to 46 percent of UDP, 20 percent of NPP, 24 percent of HSPDP, 10 percent of NCP and 31 percent of Independent candidates.
From among the major political parties in the State, the average asset per candidate for Indian INC having 60 candidates is Rs 8.07 crore, for UDP (50 candidates) is Rs 2.89 crore, for HSPDP (17 candidates) is Rs 1.11 crore, for BJP (13 candidates) is Rs 1.16 crore, for NPP (30 candidates) is Rs 1.03 crore and for NCP (21 candidates) is Rs 63.48 lakh whereas, the average asset per candidate for independent candidate (124 candidates) is Rs 1.18 crore.
On the other hand, the average assets of the 111 re-contesting candidates fielded by various parties is Rs 2.33 crore while the average assets of the 111 re-contesting candidates in 2008 was only Rs 66.20 lakh.
The average asset growth for these 111 re-contesting candidates in 5 years is Rs 1.66 crore with Comingone Ymbon of INC from Raliang having the maximum growth in assets who declared an increase of Rs 24.26 crore from Rs 1.21 crore in 2008 to Rs 25.48 crore in 2013. Assets of Metbah Lyngdoh (UDP) from Mairang have increased by Rs 16.29 crore, from Rs 21 crore in 2008 to Rs 37.29 crore in 2013; assets of Dr Mukul Sangma (INC) from Ampati have risen by Rs 11.07 crore, from Rs 3.43 crore in 2008 to Rs 14.50 crore in 2013.
Meanwhile, 8 candidates have reported decrease in assets in 2013 as compared to the value of their assets in 2008. Among them, D Plaslanding Langjuh (NPP) from Mawsynram top the list declaring a 93 percent decline in assets with Rs 1.02 crore in 2008 to Rs 7 lakh in 2013 followed by Manosha Warjri (KHNAM) from Nongthymmai constituency declaring a decline of 86 percent in assets with Rs 3 lakh in 2008 to Rs 41 thousands in 2013.
Party wise, it was found that average increase in the assets of 23 INC MLAs who have again been given tickets by INC is RS 3.59 crore followed by UDP with 8 re-contesting MLAs showing Rs 3.14 crore and SP with 1 re-contesting MLAs showing an average increase of assets of 2.87 crore.
As far as liability of a candidate is concerned, the top three candidates with the highest declared liabilities are Metbah Lyngdoh declaring the highest liabilities worth Rs 11.11 crore followed by Ngaitlang Dhar declaring liabilities worth Rs 9.89 crore and Leston Wanswett (Independent) from Shella with liabilities of Rs 4.99 crore.
Meanwhile, 113 out of 341 candidates have not declared their PAN details of which 11 out of 60 candidates of INC failed to do the same, similarly for UDP with 13 out of 50, NCP with 9 out of 21 and NPP with 10 out of 30 while 6 candidates declared an annual income in their Income Tax Return (ITR) with Manas Chaudhuri (INC) from Shillong South declaring the highest income worth Rs 15.66 lakh in his last ITR followed by AT Mondal (INC) from Phulbari who has declared an income of Rs 14.41 lakh and Dr Mizanur Rahman (UDP) from Rajabala with total income worth Rs 6.76 lakh.
A total of 185 (54 percent) out of 341 are graduates and a total of 8 candidates are more than 70 years of age while 117 candidates are less than 40 years of age.
Out of 341 analyzed candidates, 25 (7 percent) women are contesting the elections with Congress fielding 6, UDP 5 and one each fielded by HSPDP, KHNAM, Rashtriya Secular Party and BJP while NCP has fielded 2. 8 are contesting as Independents. In 2008, out of the 338 contesting candidates, 21 (6 percent) were women.