NEW DELHI: Poll-bound northeastern state Nagaland, which has a population of just 20,00,000, has reportedly seen steady rise in the number of rich candidates contesting elections in the recent past. A report by the Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR) has stated that 114 out of the total 196 candidates in the fray have declared their assets in millions. The top three richest candidates are Ramongo Lotha of JD(U) with £3.89 million, KLChisi of the BJP with £3.82 million, and former CM Neiphiu Rio with £3.64 million. The ADR, along with the Nagaland Election Watch, analysed the affidavits of 193 out of a total of 196 candidates.
According to the assessment, the average asset per candidate is £376,000. What is interesting, is that 27 or 14 per cent of the candidates, out of 193, have not declared their source of income. One candidate, Akavi N Zhimomi of AAP, contesting from Ghaspani-I constituency has declared zero assets in his affidavit. The ADR report also found that out of 193 candidates it analysed, 2-3 per cent of the candidates have declared that criminal cases have been registered against them.
Meanwhile, a total of nine out of the 193 candidates have not declared their PAN details. The ADR report also found that there are illiterate candidates in the electoral fray in Nagaland. In terms of education, 52 candidates have declared their educational qualification to be between class VIII to class XII pass, while 137 others declared having an educational qualification of graduate or above.
