Voting is underway in 88 constituencies spanning across 12 states and union territories for the second phase of Lok Sabha Elections. Additionally, polling is being held on15 Assembly Constituencies in Outer Manipur Constituency.
The 88 seats are spread across states and union territories including Kerala, Karnataka, Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Assam, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, West Bengal, Manipur, Tripura, and Jammu and Kashmir.
The Election Commission, while announcing the schedule for Lok Sabha elections in March, stated that polling would be held on 89 seats. However, voting in Madhya Pradesh's Betul seat has been rescheduled after the death of the BJP candidate from the seat. Voting will now take place in Betul in the third phase on May 7.
Former Congress president Rahul Gandhi, Former Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel, Former Home Minister of Chhattisgarh Tamradhwaj Sahu, Former Karnataka Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy, Karnataka DY CM DK Shivakumar's brother DK Suresh, BJP's Tejashwi Surya, Congress' KC Venugopal, Shashi Tharoor, and Union Minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar are among the 1206 candidates contesting in the second phase of Lok Sabha elections.
Here is a list of the top 10 wealthiest candidates contesting in the second phase of the Lok Sabha elections.
List of the top 10 wealthiest candidates contesting in the second phase of the Lok Sabha elections | Source: ADR
Congress candidate Venkataramane Gowda, also known as Star Chandru, is the wealthiest candidate in the second phase of Lok Sabha elections, with declared assets worth Rs 622 crores.
Chadru, a Congress candidate from Karnataka, is followed by another candidate named DK Suresh. DK Suresh is the brother of Deputy Chief Minister of the state, DK Shivkumar. According to his nomination affidavit filed before the Election Commission of India, DK Suresh has declared assets worth Rs 593 Crore in his name.
Actor-turned-politician Hema Malini, who is contesting from the Mathura constituency in the second phase of polling for the Lok Sabha elections, has secured the third spot on the list of the top 10 wealthiest candidates in Uttar Pradesh. As per her election affidavit, Malini has assets worth Rs 278 crores in her name.
According to ADR analysis, Laxman Nagorao Patil, an Independent candidate from Maharashtra's Nanded seat, has declared total assets worth Rs 500 the lowest among candidates contesting in the first phase (excluding candidates who have declared assets worth 0 Rupees).
Criminal Cases:
Among the major parties, all 5 candidates (100%) from CPI, all 4 candidates (100%) from SP, 14 out of 18 candidates (78%) from CPI(M), 2 out of 3 candidates (67%) from Shiv Sena, 35 out of 68 candidates (51%) from INC, 2 out of 4 candidates (50%) from Shivsena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray), 31 out of 69 candidates (45%) from BJP, and 2 out of 5 candidates (40%) from JD(U) have declared criminal cases against themselves.
Crorepati Candidates:
ADR analysis reveals that among the major parties, all 5 candidates (100%) from JD(U), all 4 candidates (100%) from AITC, all 4 candidates (100%) from Shivsena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray), all 4 candidates (100%) from SP, all 3 candidates (100%) from Shiv Sena, 64 out of 69 candidates (93%) from BJP, 62 out of 68 candidates (91%) from INC, 12 out of 18 candidates (67%) from CPI(M), and 2 out of 5 candidates (40%) analyzed from CPI have declared assets worth more than Rs. 1 crore.
The Lok Sabha elections will be held in 7 phases across the country, with the first phase polling on April 19 and the votes for all the phases being counted on June 4.
