Crorepati, 6 with criminal cases in Bengal phase 1 poll

Out of 18 candidates across parties contesting from the two north Bengal seats - Alipurduar and Coochbehar - in the first phase of the Lok Sabha elections, Trinamool Congress' Paresh Chandra Adhikary is the only crorepati (millionaire), while six have declared criminal cases against themselves, said a study released here on Friday.

Trinamool Congress candidate for Coochbehar, Paresh Chandra Adhikary, who had changed over from All India Forward Bloc, has declared assets worth more than Rs 4 crore, while average assets per candidate contesting in the two north Bengal constituencies in the first phase is Rs 55.63 lakh based on their self-sworn affidavits, according to an analysis done by the West Bengal Election Watch and Association for Democratic Reforms .

Among major parties, the average assets per candidate for the two Trinamool Congress candidates is Rs 2.54 crore, while the same figure for the two BJP candidates is Rs 55.24 lakh. The two Congress candidates have average assets worth Rs 6.45 Lakhs.

Alipurduar and Coochbehar will go to the hustings in the first phase of polls on April 11.

"Out of 18 candidates analysed, six have declared serious criminal cases against themselves," the study said.

The two BJP candidates, John Barla for Alipurduar and Nisith Pramanik for Coochbehar have declared that they have criminal cases against them.

-- IANS

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