Lok Sabha Elections 2024: With Assets Worth Rs 320, This Is The Poorest Candidate In First Phase
In March Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman had revealed the reason for her not contesting the Lok Sabha elections. Sitharaman said that she turned down the Bharatiya Janata Party's offer because she did not 'have that kind of money to contest'.
This is despite the fact that Sitharaman, a Rajya Sabha MP had declared assets worth Rs 2.53 crore in 2022, consisting of immovable property worth Rs 1.87 crore and movable property totaling Rs 65.55 lakh.
Poorest candidate in first phase
While Sitharaman may feel that her assets are not enough to contest the elections, others with much less money are in the race.
Take the case of Ponraj K, an independent candidate in the fray in Thoothukudi, Tamil Nadu.
According to the affidavit submitted to the Election Commission of India, Ponraj has total assets worth Rs 320.
This also makes him the poorest candidate in the first phase of the Lok Sabha elections.
Four candidates with assets less than Rs 1,000
In fact, Ponraj is one of the only four candidates in the first phase who have declared total assets worth Rs 1,000 or less. Out of the four, except Kartik Gendlalji Doke an independent candidate in Maharashtra's Ramtek constituency who has declared assets worth Rs 500 others are from Tamil Nadu.
Top ten poorest candidates
According to the Election Commission data, the 'wealthiest' among the top ten poorest candidates in the first phase of the Lok Sabha elections was Krishnan S, another independent candidate in Thoothukudi, who declared assets worth Rs 3,500.
Among the top ten poorest candidates in the first phase of the Lok Sabha elections, eight are from Tamil Nadu, while one each is from Puducherry and Maharashtra.
Voting for the first phase of the seven-phase Lok Sabha elections 2024 will be held on April 19. A total of 102 Lok Sabha constituencies spread over 21 states and union territories will go to the polling booth next week, to elect their MPs.
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