Of the 37 candidates vying for the four Lok Sabha seats in Odisha, 17 are crorepatis. According to a report by the Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR), 46% of candidates (17 out of 37) have declared assets exceeding ₹1 crore. Both BJP and BJD candidates for these seats fall under this category. Three Congress nominees, four independent candidates, and one each from Bharatiya Bikash Parishad and Naba Bharata Nirmana Seva Party have also declared their properties worth over ₹1 crore. Malvika Devi, the BJP candidate for Kalahandi Lok Sabha seat, is the wealthiest candidate with total assets of ₹41.89 crore. She is followed by independent Berhampur candidate V. Chandra Shekhar (₹28.70 crore) and Bharatiya Bikash Parishad’s Berhampur nominee Rajendra Dalabehera (₹10.30 crore). Pramila Pujari, the SUCI(C) candidate for Koraput MP seat, is the poorest candidate, declaring assets of only ₹20,625. BJP’s Berhampur Lok Sabha candidate, Pradeep Kumar Panigrahy, has the highest liabilities of ₹3.82 crore. In terms of educational qualifications, 59% of candidates (22 out of 37) are graduates, while 38% (14 out of 37) have passed between class 5 and 12. Only one candidate has declared themselves as literate. Seven of the 37 candidates are female. When it comes to age distribution, 27% of candidates (10 out of 37) are between 25 to 40 years old, while 62% (23 out of 37) are between 41 to 60 years old. Four candidates (11%) are between 61 and 70 years old. Furthermore, the report indicates that 19% of candidates (7 out of 37) have pending criminal cases against them.
17 Crorepatis in the Fray for Odisha’s Lok Sabha Seats, BJP and BJD Candidates Among Them
