Bengal politicians run for cover

'Penniless' candidates insure heavily with LIC.

Buddhadeb Bhattacharya might be the Chief Minister of West Bengal and the monarch of all he surveys. But it is his wife Mira who controls the purse-strings of the Bhattacharya household. According to the disclosure made by Bhattacharya, who is seeking re-election from Jadavpur, he has "nil" cash, "nil" land and "nil" property.

The possessions of the chief minister's spouse, however, are worth around Rs 16 lakh.

The affidavits submitted by candidates also show a pattern in investments by politicians in West Bengal. Most candidates, small and big, show unshakeable faith in LIC policies as investment propositions.

For instance, the CPI(M) candidate from Krishnagar East, Subinay Ghosh, who has neither land nor a house against his name, possesses a Bajaj scooter, jewellery worth Rs 11,000, cash and bank deposits to the tune of Rs 13,000 and seven LIC policies.

His rival from the Trinamool Congress, Ramendra Nath Sarkar, has investments worth over Rs 500,000 in LIC Bima Nivesh, Rs 1 lakh in the LIC Pension Fund and has three other LIC policies with the total annual premium pegged at over Rs 32,000. Sarkar's spouse pays over Rs 33,000 as annual premium for her three LIC policies. His son also has three policies.

An analysis of the disclosures reveals that several candidates in the Assembly election in West Bengal have jumped into the poll fray without a penny to their name.

Many others who do have cash don't have a house of their own or any agricultural or non-agricultural land. The Congress candidate from Nabadip, Radha Raman Saha, has no cash, no land worth the name. All that he possesses is a residential house and bank deposits worth Rs 100. His rivals are not so well-off, either.

The CPI (M) candidate from the same constituency, Chhaya Sen Sarma, has neither cash nor bank deposits. Her possessions are worth Rs 6,000, including Rs 1,000 as bonds and gold worth Rs 5,000. Their rival from the Trinamool Congress, Pundarikakshaya Saha, has cash and deposits to the tune of Rs 19,000 but he has nothing else, neither land, nor a house.

Dipak Basu, the Trinamool Congress candidate from Haringhata, also has "nil" cash, although he does have over Rs 7,000 in the bank and two LIC policies. He, however, has no other material possessions.