65 crorepatis in Orissa second phase election

BHUBANESWAR: Incredible though it may sound, a poor state like Orissa has as many as 65 crorepatis, including two ultra-rich persons having property of over Rs 100 crore, in the fray for the second phase assembly elections on April 23.

BJP's sitting MLA from Chilika assembly segment Bibhuti Bhusan Harichandan posessed property worth Rs 106 crore followed by Independent candidate from Champua, Jitu Patnaik who owned property worth Rs 105 crore.

Three crorepaties, including Jitu Patnaik, are contesting from poverty stricken Champua seat in Keonjhar district in their bid to enter the state assembly.

Two other crorepatis in the fray at Champua are Khusha Apata(Independent) and Congress candidate Sanatan Mahakud. While Apata in his affidavit showed property worth Rs Seven crore, Mahakud had property valued at Rs Five crore.

Of the top 10 crorepaties in the second phase assembly elections, four are from mineral rich Keonjhar district including three from Champua.

The other corepati in Keonjhar district is former Congress minister Niranjan Patnaik, a candidate from Ghasipura seat. Patnaik is the elder brother of former chief minister J B Patnaik's son-in-law Soumya Ranjan Patnaik.

Soumya Ranjan also contesting as Congress candidate from Khandapada assembly seat in Nayagarh district has property worth Rs four crore.

Jitu Patnaik, the second richest candidate in Orissa, had recently organised road shows which was attended by Bolloywood stars Sunil Sethy and Raveena Tandon.

Of the total 65 crorepatis in the fray, 20 belonged to Naveen Patnaik's ruling Biju Janata Dal (BJD) and 15 were from Congress. BJP had 12 crorepati candidates while there are nine crorepati Independent candidates in the fray.

Even Mayawati's BSP had three crorepati candidates and one crorepati belonged to Sharad Pawar's NCP. Mulayam Singh Yadav's Samajwadi Party had two such candidates while JD(U), CPI(M) and Samruddha Odisha had one candidate each.