Catch me if you can, says ‘richest’ candidate

In a strange move to raise doubts over the honesty of the political class, a candidate from South Chennai, J. Mohanraj, declared that he had Rs 1,977 crore in deposits, making him the richest contestant in the 2009 Lok Sabha elections. MR Venkatesh reports. Heaviest moneybag

In a strange move to raise doubts over the honesty of the political class, a candidate from South Chennai, J. Mohanraj, declared that he had Rs 1,977 crore in deposits, making him the richest contestant in the 2009 Lok Sabha elections.

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Son of a veteran freedom fighter and Congressman from Tamil Nadu, 57-year-old Mohanraj, is representing the Jebamani Janata Party, an unrecognised party.

He told Hindustan Times on Monday, “If what the top political leaders have declared as their assets are correct, then mine is also correct. I will say all my assets are in a Swiss bank and if you bring back black money, my name will also be in that list,” he said.

He termed his move as a “patriotic duty” to show how the leaders were “making a mockery” of the Supreme Court judgment and violating all electoral norms.

Mohanraj, however, said he had Rs 2,000 in cash, four acres of land at Oothukottai village, 50 km from Chennai, seven acres in the same village in his wife’s name and 35 gold sovereigns his wife possessed which was now worth Rs 3.50 lakh.