Haryana poll scene awash with crorepatis

CHANDIGARH: Ahead of elections, Congress like all other parties has the aam admi on its lips. But most of its candidates waving the common man banner for the October 13 assembly vote are far from common.

A survey of 489 candidates, about half of the candidates in the fray, shows that more than 50% are crorepatis. According to affidavits of candidates analysed by National Election Watch, a citizen action group working for poll reform, as many as 251 candidates (51%) have declared assets worth more than Rs 1 crore.

NEW also says most parties seem to have favoured crorepatis for tickets. Among major parties, Congress has given tickets to 72 crorepatis, INLD to 56 and Bhajan Lal's Haryana Janhit Congress to 44.

In terms of net worth, on top of the heap (of the candidates surveyed) is Bhajan Lal's Haryana Janhit Congress candidate Mohit Yadav (from Kosli constituency, Rewari).

His assets are worth Rs 92.7 crore. He is followed by Venod Sharma (Ambala) of Congress with a net worth of Rs 87.4 crore.