Vidhan Sabha: A place for the rich

A study has revealed that only 18 candidates with less than Rs five lakh assets managed to enter the five state assemblies.

It seems the 8216;Vidhan Sabha8217; seats are not for the poor.

A study has revealed that only 18 candidates with less than Rs five lakh assets managed to enter the five state assemblies, where elections were held last month, while a total of 248 millionaires won their electoral battles.

Out of the 629 constituencies in five states 8212; Delhi, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh and Mizoram 8211; which went to polls, 248 of them have been bagged by 8216;crorepatis8217;, a study by the National Election Watch NEW said.

A total of 121 8216;crorepatis8217; from the Congress won in the five assemblies with the BJP coming to a close second with 110 of its crorepati candidates entering the assemblies, a party-wise break-up of the study revealed.

While the average assets possessed by winning candidates is highest in Delhi at Rs 2.8 crore, it is Rs 2.69 crore in Chhattisgarh, it said.

In Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan, the average assets of elected candidates were Rs 1.45 crore and Rs 1.99 crore respectively, while in Mizoram it stood at Rs 0.74 crore.

Besides, the report also revealed that candidates with low assets 8212; in between Rs 0 to Rs 5 lakh 8212; have very slim chances of getting elected to the assembly.

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While in Delhi and Mizoram, no MLA with assets less than five lakhs was elected, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan together saw a total of only 18 such candidates managing to win the elections.

The analysis of elected candidates by the NGO also claimed that the chances of winning elections are directly proportional to the amount of assets one has.

While the probability of winning an assembly seat for people with high assets above Rs 5 crore stood at 50 per cent in Chhattisgarh, in Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan it was found to be 48 per cent and 34 per cent respectively.

People with low assets less than Rs 5 lakh had a meager 2 per cent chance of winning in Chhatisgarh and Madhya Pradesh, while in Rajasthan it stood at one per cent.

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In the national capital, the probability of making it to the state Assembly for people with high assets was 31 per cent as against zero per cent for those with low levels of assets.

8220;NEW looked at the contesting candidates and their chances of success and have found that the more you have, the better are your chances of being elected,8221; the study said.