Assam women candidates marked by wide wealth disparity

Ranee Narah of the Congress and Bijoya Chakraborty of the BJP share the distinction of being the sole women candidates of their respective parties in Assam, but that is about all they have in common.

Ranee Narah of the Congress and Bijoya Chakraborty of the BJP share the distinction of being the sole women candidates of their respective parties in Assam, but that is about all they have in common.

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Narah, a two time MP from Lakhimpur constituency, is a much richer woman than her counterpart Chakraborty, who had won the Guwahati parliamentary seat in 1999 and went on to become the Union minister of state for water resources in the NDA government led by Atal Bihari Vajpayee.

Narah is a 'crorepati' with cash deposits in banks and financial institutions amounting to Rs 13,462,486 while her husband Bharat Narah, who is the minister for culture, sports and youth affairs in the state cabinet, has cash and bank deposits amounting to Rs 6,38,158.

Chakraborty, on the other hand, according to her declaration of assets, keeps no cash on hand and has deposits in bank and financial institutions amounting to Rs 1,80,000. Her husband has bank deposits worth Rs 90,000.

The former Union minister has only one fixed deposit in bank worth Rs one lakh.

Narah's wealth is not confined to cash and bank deposits, but she has shares worth Rs 50,000 while her husband has shares worth Rs two lakh.