146 'Crorepati' Candidates Contesting Himachal Polls: NGO

Shimla: As many as 146 candidates contesting the upcoming Himachal Pradesh Assembly elections are 'crorepatis', according to an NGO report.

The study conducted by Himachal Pradesh Election Watch, an NGO generating awareness among voters, also found that assets of 54 MLAs, re-contesting polls this year, grew on an average by 172 per cent since the 2007 elections.

Leading the table is Brij Behari Lal Butail of Congress from Palampur constituency with assets worth Rs 169 crore, followed by Balbir Singh Verma (independent candidate from Chopal) with Rs 41 crore and Congress candidate Ram Kumar (Doon constituency) with Rs 36 crore.

Assets of Congress MLA from Mandi, Anil Kumar, have grown from Rs 3.11 crore in 2007 to Rs 29.70 crore in 2012 while the assets of GS Bali, Congress MLA from Nagrota, increased from Rs 3.81 crore to Rs 24.81 crore during the same period.

Veteran Congress leader Vidya Stokes, contesting from Theog, has also declared an increase in her assets from Rs 97 lakh to Rs 8.05 crore, the report said.

Four MLAs — Khushi Ram Balnath and Govind Ram (BJP), Harshwardhan and Lakhvinder Singh Rana (Congress) — have reported decrease in their assets this year as compared to 2007.

Polling for the 68-member Himachal Pradesh Assembly will take place on November 4.