216 MLAs grew richer by Rs 8.17 crore since last Maha polls: Study

There has been a whopping 164 per cent growth in assets of 216 members of Legislative Assembly, who are seeking re-election to the Maharashtra assembly, since the last polls, as per a study conducted by two Non-Governmental Organisations.

The average assets of these candidates have shot up to Rs 13.15 crore this year, from Rs 4.97 crore in 2009, according to an analysis of affidavits of 216 MLAs, who won the 2009 state Assembly polls and are again contesting on Wednesday, conducted by the Association of Democratic Reforms and Maharashtra Election Watch.

The study reveals that the average asset growth of each candidate is Rs 8.17 crore, or 164 per cent. The Bharatiya Janata Party’s Mangal Prabhat Lodha, who represents Malabar Hill seat, has the highest assets growth of Rs 129.97 crore, from Rs 68.64 crore in 2009 to Rs 198.61 crore this year.

The assets of Suresh Kumar Bhikamchand Jain, Shiv Sena candidate from Jalgaon city, have increased by Rs 100 crore, from Rs 82.82 crore in 2009 to Rs 182.84 crore in 2014.

Ramesh Singh Ramnarayan Thakur of the Congress, contesting from Kandivali East seat, has an assets growth of Rs 59.40 crore, from Rs 22.22 crore in 2009 to Rs 81.63 crore in 2014.

According to the NGOs, 62 re-contesting MLAs of the Congress have shown 184 per cent increase in average assets, while 51 Nationalist Congress Party MLAs have shown a 176 per cent rise.

Forty-four BJP MLAs have declared an average assets increase of 198 per cent, while 36 Shiv Sena MLAs have shown 172 per cent growth. Eight MLAs of the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena have registered an average assets increase of 294 per cent, while 8 independent MLAs have shown an average assets rise of 74 per cent.