7/14 candidates are millionaires in C'garh LS poll

According to the National Election Watch (NEW), seven out of the 14 contestants for the one Lok Sabha seat in Chandigarh are millionaires while only one woman is in the poll fray as an Independent.

NEW, a congregation of more than 1200 NGOs and other citizen led organizations, has further illustrated that no candidates have any criminal charges against them. Eight of them are graduate degree holders; two have matriculation certificates while one is illiterate.

However, disclosing the grim reality of the present outlook of all mainstream political parties, the report revealed that no party had given ticket to a woman candidate and the only one who is in the fray is an Independent contender, Maya Devi.

The millionaires include Ajay Goyal (IND.), Harmohan Dhawan (BSP), Satya Pal Jain (BJP), Pawan Kumar Bansal (INC), Khem Lal Bansal (IND), S K Suri (IND), Haffiz Anwar Ul Haq (RJD). Independent candidate Ajay Goyal tops the list as ‘crorepati’ with Rs 17,73,52,496 in his asset details.

There are a total of eight Independent contenders while JD (U), INC, AD, BJP, BSP, RJD has one candidate each to contest the 15th Lok Sabha elections in Chandigarh parliamentary constituency.

In an effort to bring electoral reforms, improving democracy and governance in India, the NEW has so far analysed more than 6700 affidavits of candidates contesting in Lok Sabha Elections 2009 and revealed some interesting but surprising facts about the political parties and contestants.