CHANDIGARH: Haryana, infamous for the diktats of khaps against same gotra marriages and honour killings, is home to crorepati candidates this poll season.
According to a report released by Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR) on Wednesday, 40% of Lok Sabha candidates from Haryana are crorepatis.
The report said 92 of 229 candidates contesting for 10 Lok Sabha constituencies in the state are worth crores.
Industrialist and Congress candidate from Kurukshetra Naveen Jindal tops the list with assets worth over Rs 308 crore. His rival and BJP candidate Rajkumar Saini has assets worth Rs 13.28 crore.
Former chief minister Bansi Lal's grand-daughter and Congress candidate from Bhiwani-Mahendergarh Shruti Choudhary has declared assets worth Rs 108 crore in her affidavit before the Election Commission.
Former chief minister Bhajan Lal's son and HJC candidate from Hisar Kuldeep Bishnoi has assets amounting to Rs 78 crore while his political rival and INLD candidate Dushyant Chautala has Rs 36 crore. Dushyant is the great grandson of former deputy prime minister Devi Lal.
Chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda's son and Congress candidate from Rohtak Deepender Hooda has declared assets of Rs 35 crore.
Even Aam Aadmi Party candidate from Sonipat Jai Singh Thekedar is not far behind as he has declared assets worth Rs 25 crore.
INLD's 90% candidates in the state are crorepatis with average assets of over Rs 11 crore.
Political observers feel that due to close proximity with the national capital region, the rates of property in Haryana have increased many times in the past few years and those politicians, who have land holdings in the state, have become crorepatis.
TR Kundu, a retired professor of Kurukshetra University, said the new figures show that the politics in the state is dominated by elite and landlords. "There is close relationship between the money power and winnability in the polls and political parties keep it in mind while allotting tickets," he added.
CROREPATI NETAS
Candidates Constituency Assets
Naveen Jindal (Congress)------ Kurukshetra Rs 308 crore
Shruti Choudhry Congress- Bhiwani-Mahendergarh Rs 108 crore
Kuldeep Bishnoi ( HJC) --- Hisar Rs 78 crore
Ashwini Kumar (BJP)- Karnal Rs 69 crore
Dushyant Chautala---INLD - Hisar ----------------------------------Rs 36 crore
Deepender Hooda-- Congress-Rohtak---------------------------------Rs 35 croe
Krishan Pal Gujjar ---BJP -Faridabad----------------------------------Rs 29 crore
Rao Inderjit Singh-- BJP --Gurgaon -------------------------------------Rs 25 crore
Jai Singh-AAP-Sonipat-------------------------------------------- Rs 24 crore
Shamsher Kharkara-- INLD-Rohtak ---------------------------------Rs 24 crore
