NPF at highest with 43
Kohima Bureau
Kohima, Feb. 21 (EMN): Out of 195 candidates contesting in the 2018 Nagaland assembly polls, 114 candidates from different political parties as well as independents are ‘crorepatis’ / multi-millionaires, 27 up from the 2013 elections, reveals an election watchdog report.
In partnership with the Nagaland Election Watch and the YouthNet, Delhi-based Association of Democratic Reforms (ADR) released a pre-election watch report compiled from analysing self-sworn affidavits of the candidates. It was released at D’Cafe in Kohima on Feb. 21.
Nagaland Election Watch's coordinator Hekani Jakhalu informed that out of 196 candidates, the groups managed to analyse the affidavits of only 193 as those of two candidates obtained from the website of the Election Commission of India (ECI) were ‘badly scanned and not readable’ while for another candidate, some pages were missing.
The three candidates who were not included in the report are Khongjah Konyak of the Naga People's Front (NPF) from Tizit assembly constituency (AC), N Thongwang Konyak of the NPF at Mon town AC, and Zale Neikha of the Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party (NDPP) at Southern Angami-II AC.
According to the report, the NPF has the richest candidates with 43 out of the 56, who were analysed, listed as millionaires. The NDPP has 24 ‘crorepatis’ out of the 39 analysed while 13 out of 20 Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidates and 12 out of 25 National People's Party (NPP) also made it to the list. Others include seven out of 13 Janata Dal (United), seven independents, six Congress (INC) out of 18, and two Nationalist CP out of 6.
Ramongo Lotha of the JD(U), a retired bureaucrat who is contesting for the first time from Sanis assembly seat, is the richest candidate with a total asset of INR 38,92,21,960. Former chief ministers KL Chishi (BJP) and Neiphiu Rio (NDPP) come close behind with INR 38 cr. and INR 36 cr. in that order.
Eighteen candidates have assets worth more than the INR 10 cr. mark. Among the top 10 multi-millionaire candidates are five retired government officials.
While Chishi’s wealth appear to have diminished by INR 12 cr. since the previous assembly elections, G Kaito Aye (JDU) who had INR 3.5 cr. in 2013 has quadrupled his assets and currently has more than INR 14 cr. Others who have accumulated assets over the past five years include Rio whose wealth has increased by about INR 6 cr. from INR 30 cr. to INR 36.4; Yitachu (NPF) whose wealth leapt from INR 6.8 cr. in 2013 to INR 17.5 cr. in 2018, and Kuzholuzo Nienu (NPF) whose assets doubled from INR 5.4 cr. to INR 11.5 in 2018.
Twenty candidates out of 193 have declared liabilities. The top-three with the highest of liabilities are Tokheho (NDPP) from Dimapur-III AC with more than INR 2.5 cr., Toshipokba (NPF) from Aonglenden AC with INR 2 cr. disputed liabilities; and KL Chishi with INR 89 lac.
In the low asset category: Akavi N Zhimomi of Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) at Ghaspani-I assembly seat has declared ‘zero asset’ in his affidavit while Congress’ T Ngampai Konyak at Phomching AC has recorded a total asset of INR 5000, Chingkai Konyak (NPP) has INR 10000 and K Kiko Konyak has around INR 20000. For the last three candidates, they have not provided the total in their affidavits and the aggregate had been calculated on the basis of details they provided in their affidavits.
According to the report, 166 candidates have declared their sources of income while 27 failed to furnish theirs.
Meanwhile, the ADR report states that three candidates—V Kashiho (BJP) at Seyochung-Sitimi AC, Toshipokba (NPF) of Aonglenden AC and Neiba Kronu (NDPP) of Pfutsero AC—have declared criminal cases against themselves in their affidavits.
As for the education details of the candidates, three have registered illiterate while 52 declared their educational qualification to be between 8th pass and 12th pass; and 137 candidates declared graduate or over.
In the age category: 61% of the candidates (117) are of the age group of 51-80 years; 39% (75 candidates) are declared to be between 25 and 50 years. Only one candidate, Kejong Chang (NPF) of Tuensang Sadar-II is over 80 years of age.
As for the three candidates whose affidavits were not analysed, the NGOs have expressed concern at the efficiency of the election office but have hoped that the chief electoral officer’s establishment would take up the matter in priority.
The organisations have informed that all the information about candidates in the report were extracted from the affidavits filed by candidates in their nomination papers. Jakhalu said that the report was brought out with the sole intention to help citizens make an informed choice as per the order of the Supreme Court (2003) making it mandatory for candidates contesting elections to declare their criminal, financial and other background details to citizens.
