New Delhi: At least a third of Delhi's candidates are millionaires and the richest candidate is worth over 200 crores, an analysis by an independent election watchdog has revealed.

Akali Dal candidate Manjinder Singh Sirsa, who is contesting the December 4 Delhi election from Rajouri Garden in the west of the city, has declared wealth worth Rs. 235.5 crore in his poll affidavit.

The richest after Mr Sirsa is a Congress candidate, Sushil Gupta, who has declared assets worth Rs. 164 crore.

The ADR Election Watch, which has analysed the poll affidavits of some 800 candidates contesting in Delhi, says at least 33 per cent of them are 'crorepatis', or have wealth in crores.

The average wealth of candidates has shot up within five years, from Rs. 1.77 crores in the last assembly election to Rs. 3.43 crores this time.

The average wealth of Congress candidates is the highest at Rs. 14 crore, followed by that of BJP's candidates at Rs. 8 crore. The average wealth of Arvind Kejriwal's Aam Aadmi Party - which says it has received donations from Indians here and abroad for its debut election - is at Rs. 2.5 crore, says the report.

The affidavits also reveal that candidates with criminal records have increased from 14 to 16 per cent in Delhi since the last election five years ago.

For all the five states holding polls in November-December - seen as a semi-final before the national election due by May - there has been a three per cent increase in candidates with criminal records to 16 per cent this year.

129 candidates in Delhi, or 16 per cent, have declared criminal cases; 93 of them have serious charges against them.

15 of 70 candidates fielded by the Congress have criminal cases while 31 out of 68 BJP candidates and 14 out of 67 BSP candidates have declared criminal cases.

For the AAP, five out of 70 candidates have mentioned criminal cases in their affidavits.