Puri: In the upcoming Lok Sabha elections in Odisha on May 13, 37 candidates are contesting for the four parliamentary seats of Nabarangpur, Berhampur, Koraput, and Kalahandi. According to a report by the Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR), 17 of these candidates, which is 46 per cent, are crorepatis.

Among the candidates, both the BJP and BJD nominees for the four Lok Sabha seats are crorepatis. Additionally, three Congress candidates, four independent candidates, one from Bharatiya Bikash Parishad, and one from Naba Bharata Nirmana Seva Party have declared assets worth over Rs 1 crore, as per the ADR report.

The richest candidate contesting is Malvika Devi of the BJP, with total assets worth Rs 41.89 crore, standing for the Kalahandi LS seat. She is followed by independent candidate V Chandra Shekhar from Berhampur with Rs 28.70 crore, and Rajendra Dalabehera of Bharatiya Bikash Parishad with Rs 10.30 crore, also contesting from Berhampur.

On the other hand, the poorest candidate, as per the report, is Pramila Pujari from SUCI(C), contesting for the Koraput MP seat, with assets worth only Rs 20,625. Pradeep Kumar Panigrahy, the BJP nominee for Berhampur Lok Sabha constituency, has the highest liabilities worth Rs 3.82 crore.

The educational qualifications of the candidates show that 14 (38 per cent) have passed between class 5 and 12, while 22 (59 per cent) are graduates. Only one candidate declared themselves as literate. Out of the 37 candidates, only seven are female.

Moreover, 10 (27 per cent) candidates are aged between 25 to 40 years, while 23 (62 per cent) are in the age group of 41 to 60 years. Four (11 per cent) candidates fall between the ages of 61 and 70.

The report also reveals that seven (19 per cent) candidates have declared criminal cases pending against them.

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