Telangana Assembly Polls 2018: Average assets of re-contesting MLAs increased by 70%

Copy of telangana Polls 2018

Telangana, the youngest state of India, is set to witness its first independent assembly elections. In 2014, the state’s assembly was elected in a joint election with Andhra Pradesh, before its bifurcation.

A total of 114 Members of Legislative Assembly (MLAs) of the 119-seat Assembly are contesting the December 7 elections.

The average assets of these re-contesting MLAs has increased by Rs 5.66 crore from 2014 to 2018.

The data has been revealed in an analysis report by the Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR). According to the report, the average assets of re-contesting MLAs in 2014 was Rs 8.11 crore, whereas in 2018, it stands at Rs 13.78 crore, putting the growth at around 70 percent.

The report analyzes 112 out of the 114 MLAs who are re-contesting in the state polls on the basis of disclosures made in their election affidavit. The report does not analyse two MLAs as their affidavits were badly scanned.

These MLAS belong to five major political parties of the state — Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS), Congress, All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM), Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Telugu Desam Party (TDP).

Going party-wise, the only TDP MLA who is re-contesting assembly polls in the state has revealed a growth of 133.64 percent in income (from Rs 60.16 lakh in 2014 to Rs 1.40 crore in 2018).

The BJP, with seven re-contesting MLAs, is placed second on the list with 97.71 percent increase. The average assets of MLAs has increased from Rs 2.95 crore in 2014 to Rs 5.83 crore in 2018.

The ruling TRS, with 81 re-contesting MLAs, is ranked third with growth of 72.25 percent in average assets. It has increased from Rs 8.57 crore in 2014 to Rs 14.76 crore in 2018.

The ‘pink’ party is followed by Congress with 64.22 percent growth. The average assets of its 16 MLAs trying to retain power has gone up from Rs 8.74 crore in 2014 to Rs 14.35 crore in 2018.

The seven MLAs re-contesting on AIMIM tickets saw an average increase in their assets by 42.01 percent. Their assets increased from Rs 7.63 crore in 2014 to Rs 10.84 crore this year.