As 12 states are all geared up to cast their votes across 89 constituencies, the latest data analysis shows that Tejasvi Surya is the top wealth accumulator in Karnataka with an annual rate of 434%, whereas Sobha Surendran’s year-on-year growth of 285% makes her the topper in Kerala.
The Informed Voter Project’s analysis also says that most of the government’s manifesto promises regarding health and family welfare, labour and employment and personnel, public grievances and pension, are either broken or not fulfilled.
Informed Voter Project, a non-profit institution, analyses the candidates and political parties according to their manifestos, performance statistics, criminal record, assets and education. As a part of the initiative, independent researchers from Mumbai have been informing citizens about the candidates in the city from the last eight elections and this year, the report card for phase 2 of the elections provides the citizens with the data about the annual growth rate of the candidates’ assets.
According to their analysis of the MPs’ affidavits, Bangalore South’s Member of Parliament and National President of the Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha Tejasvi Surya turned out to be the top wealth growing MP from Karnataka. With just Rs. 13.47 lakhs in 2019, Surya’s wealth has grown at a year-on-year growth rate of 434% to become Rs. 4.11 crore in 2024.
After Surya, Janata Dal (Secular)’s Prajwal Revanna, the MP from Hassan constituency, saw a 42% increase in wealth from Rs. 9.79 crores to Rs. 40.85 crores. Indian National Congress’ B.N. Chandrappa stood third on the list with a 24% increase from Rs. 4.83 crore to Rs. 14.41 crore.
In Kerala, BJP MP from Alappuzha Sobha Surendran also saw a whopping 285% increase in her year-on-year wealth from Rs. 61.12 lakhs in 2019 to Rs. 6.98 crores in 2024. INC MP from Alathur stood second with a 62% annual growth rate from Rs. 11.53 lakhs to Rs. 63.67 lakhs.
The Informed Voter Project also analysed the promises made by the BJP through its manifesto before the 2019 elections. 10 promises related to the Health and Family Welfare, 8 promises regarding Labour and Employment and 5 promises about the personnel, public grievances and pensions were analysed.
In Health and Family Welfare, 27% were graded as ‘very-low’ in performance, 9% as ‘low’, 27% as ‘medium’, 18% as ‘medium-high’ and 18% were graded as ‘high’ performance. For Labour and Employment, no promise was graded as ‘high’ in performance and 87% of the promises had a medium or worse than medium performance. Whereas, 50% of the Personnel, Public grievances and Pensions promises were low in performance and the other 50% were medium.
Vivek Gilani from the Informed Voter Project said, “Of all the promises related to these three departments, the government has broken seven promises completely and fulfilled only four promises. Four promises were worked on halfway, whereas four were less than halfway. Only one promise was graded medium-high”
