Assets of 66 sitting MLAs rise 259 per cent in 5 years: report

The assets of 66 sitting MLAs, who are re-contesting Delhi assembly polls, have on an average registered a whopping 259 per cent rise in last five years, an analysis of self-sworn affidavits by Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR) and Delhi Election Watch said here today.

Moreover, out of 796 candidates analysed, one-third of them, including sitting MLAs, are crorepatis.

Among three major political parties, with 61 out of 70 candidates being crorepatis, Congress leads the chart followed by BJP (58 candidates) and AAP (33). Four candidates have declared zero assets.

While the average asset of these 66 re-contesting MLAs fielded by various parties including independents in 2008 was Rs 2.90 crore, it has increased to Rs 10.43 crore in 2013, said the ADR report.

Sat Prakash Rana of BJP from Bijwasan constituency has declared maximum increase in assets with an increase of Rs 105.51 crore - from Rs 6.38 crore in 2008 to Rs 111.89 crore in 2013.

Assets of Ram Singh Netaji of Congress from Badarpur constituency has increased by Rs 50.26 crore, from Rs 8.44 crore in 2008 to Rs 58.71 crore in 2013.

Assets of Tarvinder Singh Marwah of Congress from Jangpura constituency have risen by Rs 27.99 crore, from Rs 7.06 crore in 2008 to Rs 35.05 crore in 2013, said Anurag Mittal, ADR National Coordinator.

"Assets of 140 re-contesting candidates have on an average increased from Rs 2.57 crore in 2008 to Rs 8.90 crore in 2013, registering an average percentage growth of 246 per cent, added Mittal.

Manjinder Singh Sirsa of SAD from Rajouri Garden constituency has declared highest assets worth Rs 235.51 crore followed by Sushil Gupta of Congress from Moti Nagar constituency with declared assets worth Rs.164.44 crore and Ashok Kumar Jain of Congress from Delhi Cantt constituency with declared assets worth Rs 143.69 crore.