Bengal's representation on the list of the “poorest of the poor” candidates is very high.
Delhi and West Bengal are a “study in contrast” when it comes to wealth of candidates contesting the Lok Sabha election under way. While the national capital is full of Richie Richs, Bengal candidates appear neck deep in poverty.
As per the affidavits filed so far, BJP’s Darjeeling nominee Jaswant Singh, who has declared assets worth Rs25 crore, is the only one from the state who makes the nation-wide rich list. His assets include two Arab horses, cattle, multiple cars and land.
On the other hand, the state’s representation on the list of the “poorest of the poor” candidates is very high. The number of “no-car”, “no-gold” and “no-house” candidates is also quite high. Even the worth of houses owned by both Left and Trinamool-Congress candidates barely crosses Rs10 lakh.
The CPI(M)’s Bishnupur (SC) candidate Susmita Bauri is the poorest of all in the state with the worth of her declared assets not exceeding Rs33,000. Needless to say she does not own a car, gold or a house.
Closely following Bauri is the party’s Hooghly nominee Rupchand Pal, who has only Rs25,200 in cash. Pal’s assets otherwise include Rs6.05 lakh worth of bank bonds and Rs2,00,000 invested in a monthly savings scheme. Pal too does not own a car, gold or a house.
The CPI(M)’s Howrah candidate Swadesh Chakrabarty, who declared assets worth Rs30 lakh, also does not own a house. As per his affidavit, he lives in a small flat owned by his wife.
The party’s Srerampore candidate owns a house but its valuation is only Rs6 lakh. His total assets are worth around Rs12 lakh, including 15 grams of gold registered in his daughter’s name.
Like the CPI(M), none of the Trinamool candidates who have filed nominations to date has reported assets exceeding worth Rs1 crore.
So far, only four candidates in West Bengal have declared assets worth over Rs1 crore. Apart from Jaswant Singh, they are foreign minister and the Congress’ Jangipur candidate Pranab Mukherjee, the party’s Berhampore nominee Adhir Chowdhury and the BJP candidate from Kirshnagar, Satyabrata Mukherjee.
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