Number of 'crorepati' candidates doubles in UP this elections

The number of 'crorepati' candidates from Uttar Pradesh has nearly doubled in the 2014 general elections as compared to the 2009 polls, with BSP which claims to represent the oppressed class fielding two richest nominees with assets worth over 100 crore.
The affidavits of 1,259 of the total 1,268 candidates analysed by the Association of Democratic Reforms (ADR) show that in this election 413 'crorepati' candidates contested, which is 33 per cent of the total number.
In 2009, the number was 233 out of 1,345, which is approximately 17 per cent.
In the party-wise average assets declared by candidates, BSP tops the list with an average of Rs 15 crore per candidate followed BJP with an average of Rs 10 crore, Samajwadi Party Rs 7 crore, Congress Rs 9 crore and Aam Aadmi Party Rs 2 crore.

Two BSP candidates -- Malook Nagar from Bijnor and M Shahid from Meerut -- have declared assets worth Rs 289 crore and Rs 198 crore respectively, the ADR data says.
Not much behind are BJP candidates Hema Malini from Mathura and Kanwar Singh Tanwar from Amroha who have declared assets worth Rs 178 crore each. The actress, however, has a liability of Rs 23 crore as well.

In the list of top 10 richest candidates, four are from BSP, two each from BJP and Congress, and one each from SP and RLD, the analysis says.
ADR has clarified that it could only analyse details of 1,259 candidate among total of 1268 from the state. The rest of the affidavits have not been analysed as their affidavits were either incomplete or badly scanned on the ECI's website at the time of making this report.

There are 365 candidate (approximately 29 per cent) who chose not to declare their Permanent Account Numbers (PAN) details, it said.