Tripura assembly polls: BJP has highest crorepati nominees, says ADR report

A total of 116 (45%) candidates are graduates or above, 139 (54%) candidates have educational qualifications between 5th and 12th standard, two candidates are diploma holders and another two are only literate

Of the total 259 candidates contesting in the upcoming Tripura assembly polls, 45 (17%) are crorepatis including 17 (31%) from the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), nine (21%) from TIPRA Motha, seven (16%) from Communist Party of India (Marxist) [CPI-M], six (46%) from the Congress and four (14%) from Trinamool Congress (TMC), according to a report from Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR).

Tripura will go to polls on February 16 and the counting of the votes will take place on March 2 (Representative Photo)

Deputy chief minister Jishnu Devvarma, chief minister Dr Manik Saha and TIPRA Motha nominee Abhinit Sarkar are the top three candidates having the highest declared assets worth Rs. 15 crore, Rs. 13 crore and Rs. 12 crore, respectively.

Whereas, independent candidates Hiramuni Debbarma, Nagendra Chandra Shil and Mridul Kanti Sarkar are the top three candidates having the lowest assets worth Rs. 700, Rs.1,200 and Rs. 2,000 respectively.

A total of 116 (45%) candidates are graduates or above, 139 (54%) candidates have educational qualifications between 5th and 12th standard, two candidates are diploma holders and another two are only literate.

Of the total, 63 (24%) candidates are between 25 to 40 years, 142 (55%) candidates are between 41 to 60 years and 54 (21%) candidates are aged between 61 to 80 years. Meanwhile, 30 (12%) of the total are women contestants.

The ADR report also stated that the average assets of each contestant in this election is ₹86.37 lakh compared to Rs. 46.92 lakhs in 2018.

Among major political parties, the average assets worth per candidate for 55 BJP candidates is Rs. 1.86 crore, for 13 Congress candidates it is Rs. 2.20 crore, for 43 CPM candidates it is Rs. 53.94 lakh and for 42 TIPRA Motha candidates it is Rs. 78.57 lakh.

A total of 41 (16%) candidates have criminal charges against them and 21 (8%) have serious criminal cases against them.

Tripura will go to polls on February 16 and the counting of the votes will take place on March 2.