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Analysis of the Financial & other details of all candidates contesting the HP elections

· Himachal Pradesh Election Watch (HPEW) has analyzed affidavits of 445 candidates out of 459 candidates who are contesting Himachal Pradesh 2012 Assembly Elections.

· A total of 146 candidates out of 445 analyzed i.e. 33% are crorepatis. In 2007, there were 16% crorepati candidates.

· The candidates with maximum assets is Brij Behari Lal Butail of INC from Palampur constituency with assets worth Rs. 169 crores, followed by Balbir Singh Verma, IND from Chopal with Rs. 41 Crores and Ram Kumar, INC from Doon constituency with assets worth Rs. 36 crores.

· A total of 58 candidates out of 445 analyzed declared assets less than Rs. 5 Lakhs.

· The three candidates with lowest assets are Om Prakash of HSP from Baijnath constituency who has declared assets worth two thousand rupees (Rs. 2,000), followed by Rama Mahendra of HSP from Palampur with assets worth Rs. 10 thousand only and Shiv Kumar of SP from Sarkaghat constituency with assets worth Rs. 10 thousand only.

· A total of 55 (12%) candidates out of 445 analyzed declared liabilities of Rs. 25 lakhs or above.

· The top three candidates with highest liabilities are Balbir Singh Verma, an IND candidate from Chopal who has declared liabilities worth Rs. 11.42 Crores followed by G.S. Bali of INC from Nagrota constituency with liabilities worth Rs. 9.96 Crores and Rajesh Sharma an IND candidate from Kangra constituency with liabilities worth Rs. 3.68 Crores.

Among major parties, the average asset per candidate for INC is 7.39 Crores, for BJP it is approximately 1.55 Crores , for CPM 1.72 Crores, NCP 77.61 Lakhs, BSP 54.32 Lakhs ,for AITC 49.51 Lakhs, and for SP it is 29.73 Lakhs.

· 79 out of 445 (18%) candidates analyzed in the Himachal Pradesh 2012 Assembly Elections have not declared their PAN details.

· 3 Crorepati Candidates have not declared their PAN details. They are Vijay Jayoti (IND) From Kasumpti Constituency, Tikender Panwar (CPM) from Shimla constituency and Vijay Kumar (SP) from Nahan constituency.

· 19 out of 43 candidates of BSP have not declared their PAN, 6 out of 10 candidates of CPM have not declared their PAN and 4 out of 10 of SP have not declared PAN details.

56% candidates (248 of 445 analyzed) are graduates and above.

Out of 445 candidates contesting for Himachal Pradesh Assembly Elections 2012, only 27 (6%) candidates are women. In 2007, the total number of women candidates were 25 (7%) out of the total 336 candidates contesting.

A total of 42 candidates out of the total analyzed are more than 65 years of age.

Highlights (Analysis of asset increase of ALL Re-contesting candidates and MLAs in the HP elections)

Recontesting Candidates

· 112 re-contesting (candidates who fought elections in 2007 and now in 2012 are again in the fray) candidates have been analyzed for Himachal Pradesh Assembly Election of 2012

The average assets of candidates fielded by various parties in 2007 was Rs 1,90,95,134 (1.9 crore)

· The average assets of the re-contesting candidates now in 2012 is Rs 4,24,16,673 (4.24 crore)

· The average asset growth for these re-contesting candidates is Rs 2,33,21,539 (2.33 crore)

· Average percentage growth in assets for these re-contesting candidates is 122%

· Brij Behari Lal Butail of INC from Palampur has declared the highest increase in assets of Rs 77.29 crore, his assets have grown from Rs. 91.92 crore in 2007 to Rs 169.21 crore in 2012. Assets of Anil Kumar (of INC from Mandi) have increased by Rs 26.59 crore, from Rs 3.11 crore in 2007 to Rs 29.70 crore in 2012. Assets of G.S. Bali (of INC from Nagrota) have risen by Rs 21.03 crore, from Rs 3.81 crore in 2007 to Rs 24.85 crore in 2012.

· The highest percentage increase (7463%) in assets has been declared by Bumber Thakur of INC from Bilaspur constituency. Bumber Thakur’s assets increased from Rs. 1.35 lakhs in 2007 to Rs 1.02 crore in 2012. Nathu Ram of BSP from Shillai constituency has declared an increase in assets of 4921%, his assets have risen from Rs. 50 thousand in 2007 to Rs 25.1 lakh in 2012. Aman Guleria of CPI from Kangra constituency falls at third position with 4067% increase in assets; his assets have grown up from Rs 12 thousand in 2007 to Rs 5 lakh in 2012.

· 7 candidates have reported decrease in assets in 2012 as compared to value of assets in 2007. They are Khushi Ram Balnath (-15% reduction in assets, from Rs 84.04 lakh in 2009 bye-election to Rs 71.36 lakh in 2012) of HLP from Kasumpti, Govind Ram (-29% dip in assets, from Rs 65.66 lakh in 2007 to Rs 46.6 lakh in 2012) of BJP from Arki, Asha Kumari of INC from Dalhousie (-33% fall in assets, from Rs 2.42 crore in 2007 to Rs 1.62 crore in 2012), Ram Kishan (-35% decline in assets, Rs 1.05 crore in 2007 to Rs 68.8 lakh in 2012 ) of CPM from Arki, Mansa Ram (-48% reduction in assets, from Rs 1.69 crore in 2007 to Rs 88.64 lakh in 2012) of INC from Karsog, Harshwardhan (-51% decline in assets, from Rs 1.63 crore in 2007 to Rs 76.44 lakh in 2012) of INC from Shillai and Lakhvinder Singh (-65% fall in assets, from Rs 36.34 crore in 2011 bye-election to Rs 12.82 crore in 2012) of INC from Nalagarh.

Recontesting MLAs

· 54 sitting MLAs who are again contesting elections (whom we call re-contesting MLAs) have been analyzed for Himachal Pradesh Assembly Elections of 2012

· The average assets of these re-contesting MLAs in 2007 was Rs 1,38,42,325 (1.38 crore)

· The average assets of these MLAs who are contesting elections again now in 2012 is Rs 3,76,06,528 (3.76 crore)

· The average growth in assets for these re-contesting MLAs is Rs 2,37,64,202 (Rs 2.37crore)

· Average percentage growth in assets for these re-contesting MLAs is 172%

· Anil Kumar an INC MLA from Mandi has declared the highest increase in assets of Rs 26.59 crore, his assets have grown from Rs. 3.11 crore in 2007 to Rs 29.70 crore in 2012. Assets of G.S. Bali (an INC MLA from Nagrota) have increased by Rs 21.03 crore, from Rs 3.81 crore in 2007 to Rs 24.81 crore in 2012. Assets of Dr. Subhash Chand Manglate (of INC from Chopal) have risen by Rs 7.03 crore, from Rs 19.42 lakh in 2007 to Rs 7.22 crore in 2012. Vidya (of INC from Theog) also has declared an increase of Rs 7.07 crore in assets, from Rs 97 lakh to Rs 8.05 crore in 2012.

· Dr Subhash Chand an INC MLA from Chopal has declared the highest percentage increase in assets of 3621%, from Rs 19.42 lakh in 2007 to Rs 7.22 crore in 2012. Sanjay Kumar a BSP MLA from Kangra has shown a percentage increase in assets of 1959%, from Rs 3.57 lakh in 2007 to Rs 73.49 lakh in 2012. Dr Rajiv Sahjal a BJP MLA from Kasauli has shown his assets go up by 1936%, from Rs 1.53 lakh in 2007 to Rs 31.15 lakh in 2012.

· 4 MLAs have reported a decrease in assets in 2012 as compared to their correponding value of assets in 2007. They are Khushi Ram Balnath (-15% reduction in assets, from Rs 84.04 lakh in 2009 bye-election to Rs 71.36 lakh in 2012) of BJP (now on HLP ticket) from Kasumpti, Govind Ram (-29% dip in assets, from Rs 65.66 lakh in 2007 to Rs 46.6 lakh in 2012) of BJP from Arki, Harshwardhan (-51% decline in assets, from Rs 1.63 crore in 2007 to Rs 76.44 lakh in 2012) of INC from Shillai and Lakhvinder Singh (-65% fall in assets, from Rs 36.34 crore in 2007 to Rs 12.82 crore in 2012) of INC from Nalagarh

Thanks & Regards

Himachal Pradesh Election Watch (HPEW):

Mr. V.K. Malik (Retd. DGP),

Himachal Pradesh Election Watch

E: vinodkmalik@hotmail.com,

vinodkrmalik@gmail.com

M: +91 9418150001

T: 0177 - 2621262

Mr. Bhim Singh,

Himachal Pradesh Election Watch

E: bhimsingh1975@gmail.com

M: +91 9418073190