The richest candidate in the first phase is from Chevella.
The poorest candidate is also contesting from the same constituency in Telengana!
Ninety one constituencies go to the polls across 20 states and Union Territories in the first phase today, April 11.
The states in which the election will be completed today are Andhra Pradesh (25 seats), Arunachal Pradesh (2 seats), Meghalaya (2 seats), Mizoram (1 seat), Nagaland (1 seat), Sikkim (1 seat), Telangana (17 seats) and Uttarakhand (5 seats).
Two Union Territories -- Andaman and Nicobar Islands (1 seat) and Lakshadweep (1 seat) -- will also go to the polls today.
1,279 candidates are vying for the 91 seats.
According to data collected by the Association for Democratic Reforms, 213 (17%) of the candidates have declared criminal cases against them.
146 (12%) of the candidates have declared serious criminal cases against themselves.
The Bharatiya Janata Party has fielded 83 candidates of which 30 (36%) have criminal cases registered.
Of the Congress's 83 candidates, 35 (42%) have criminal cases registered.
Eight (25%) of the 32 Bahujan Samaj Party candidates have criminal cases registered against them.
13 (52%) of the YSR Congress party's 25 Lok Sabha candidates in Andhra Pradesh have declared criminal cases against them.
When it comes to wealth, 401 (32%) of the candidates are crorepatis.
Of the Congress's 83 candidates, 69 (83%) are crorepatis.
Of the BJP's 83 candidates, 65 (78%) are crorepatis.
Of the BSP's 32 candidates, 15 (47%) are crorepatis.
All the Telugu Desam Party's 25 Lok Sabha candidates are crorepatis!
The richest candidate in the first phase is Konda Vishweshwar Reddy, the Congress candidate from Chevella, Telangana, who has declared assets of Rs 895 crore/Rs 8.95 billion.
YSR Congress candidate Prasad Veera Potluri from Vijayawada, Andhra Pradesh, has assets of Rs 347 crore/Rs 3.47 billion.
The third richest candidate in the fray is also from the YSR Congress. Kanumuru Raghu Rama Krishna Raju, who is contesting the election from Narsapuram in Andhra Pradesh, has assets of Rs 325 crore/Rs 3.25 billion.
23 candidates have declared 0 assets.
While the richest candidate in the first phase is contesting the election from Chevella, the poorest candidate, Nalla Prem Kumar (Prem Janata Dal), is also contesting from the same constituency in Telangana.
526 (42%) candidates have declared their educational qualifications to be between Class 5 and Class 12.
619 (49%) candidates are graduates or above.
19 candidates have declared they are just literate while 66 illiterate candidates are in the fray.
411 (32%) candidates in Phase 1 have declared their ages to be between 25 and 40 years.
671 (53%) candidates have declared their ages to be between 41 and 60 years.
172 (14%) candidates have declared their ages to be between 61 and 80 years.
There are two candidates who have declared their age to be above 80 years.
When it comes to women representation in Phase 1, gender discrimation is clearly visible.
Just 89 (7%) lady candidates are contesting Phase 1.
Text: Aslam Hunani/Rediff.com. Data: Association for Democratic Reforms
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