Guwahati: With assets worth over Rs 163 crore, Arunachal Pradesh chief minister Pema Khandu is among the richest chief ministers of the country. He has also emerged as the richest among 184 candidates contesting in the 60-member Assembly elections.
The affidavits submitted by the contesting candidates has revealed that 131 candidates, which is 71 per cent of total contestants, are crorepatis. The average assets of the candidates were found to be around Rs 9.86 crore.
Mr Khandu, who is contesting from Mukto Assembly constituency, possess movable assets worth Rs 1,43,87,82,786 and immovable assets of Rs 19,62,75,356. He is followed by Lombo Tayeng of Congress (East Siang) with assets worth over Rs 148 crores and BJP’s Tsering Tashi (Tawang) with over Rs 109 crores. Mr Khandu was declared winner uncontested twice in 2011 and 2014. However, it was for the first time that Mr Khandu is going to face the polling.
It is significant that 67 candidates which is 36 per cent of total contestants possesses assets worth over Rs 5 crore.
The ruling BJP leads the tally of crorepati candidates with 90 per cent or 67 of the 60 contesting candidates possessing assets worth Rs 1 crore or more. The Congress has fielded 46 candidates, of which 30 (65%) are crorepatis.
