Chennai: All the AIADMK and DMK candidates contesting the 2019 Lok Sabha elections from Tamilnadu are crorepatis. Only 52 of the 194 candidates from the five major combinations – the AIADMK-led front, the DMK-led alliance, Makkal Needhi Maiam, AMMK and Naam Tamizhar Katchi (NTK) by Seeman, have shown assets below Rs one crore in their sworn affidavits filed before the Election Commission, according to a report released by the Movement for Democratic Reforms (MER).
That over two thirds of the candidates from these five main combinations have assets of over Rs one crore, shows the strong connect between money power and seat allotment.
The MER report released by its Convenor R Rangaraj on 14 April, points out that of the DMK-led alliance, only two candidates of the CPI, the Madurai candidate of CPM (S Venkatesan), the Congress candidate for Karur constituency, Jothimani, and two VCK candidates Thirumavalavan and D Ravikumar, have declared assets (including movable and immovable assets, spouse and dependants wherever applicable) which are below Rs one crore.
The other 33 candidates have assets over Rs one crore, going upto Rs 417 crore revealed by H Vasantha Kumar, Congress candidate from Kanniyakumari.
Only one candidate of the AIADMK-led front, Vadivel Ravanan of the PMK, in Villupuram constituency, has assets less than Rs one crore. Ten candidates of the AIADMK-led alliance are in the Top 30 Crorepatis list.
While several candidates of the NTK, MNM AMMK figure in the list of 52 candidates with assets below Rs one crore, with some candidates showing assets of just Rs. 15,000 or Rs 20,000, there are 22 candidates of MNM and 15 of the NTK, with assets of over Rs. One crore, the MER report reveals.