Asset details declared in affidavits by candidates contesting the Barmer Nagar Parishad election in Rajasthan have opened up a wide financial divide in the fray. Of the 179 candidates in the fray, 17 are crorepatis, while one contestant has declared total assets of just Rs 10,000. The same election ground, in other words, features candidates worth crores standing alongside those with barely any assets at all.
Damaram Mali is the wealthiest candidate
BJP candidate Damaram Mali, contesting from Ward number 19, has declared the highest assets among all contestants. Damaram Mali, who runs a business, has declared assets worth around Rs 13.57 crore in his affidavit, making him the richest candidate in the entire contest.
Several other crorepati candidates in the fray
Damaram Mali is not the only one with a substantial fortune. BJP candidate Kailash from Ward number 13 has declared assets of around Rs 6.66 crore, while BJP candidate Khimraj from Ward number 48 has declared assets of about Rs 6.32 crore. Mukesh Jain, contesting from Ward number 26, has declared assets of roughly Rs 3.93 crore. These figures show that the list of crorepati candidates is not limited to just one or two names but spans several wards.
The candidates with the least assets
On the other side, BJP candidate Hansraj from Ward number 36 has declared his total assets at just Rs 10,000, making him the candidate with the lowest declared assets in this election. Hansraj works a private job. Similarly, independent candidate Moolaram from Ward number 35 has declared assets of around Rs 12,000, placing him too among the candidates with very limited means. Both names show that contesting an election does not require a hefty bank balance.
Betting on promises, not wealth
These figures from the affidavits have intensified discussion around the financial standing of candidates in the Barmer Nagar Parishad election. In the same contest, leaders worth crores and candidates with just a handful of savings are seeking the same trust and votes from the public. Hansraj said, "Even though I don't have wealth, I will live up to the promises I have made." As campaigning continues, all candidates are reaching out to voters with their own issues and promising development in their wards if they win. The asset figures have also raised the question of whether voters will decide based on a candidate's wealth or on their promises and groundwork.
