Call it rule of crorepatis in 14th Orissa Assembly

Call it rule of Crorepatis in 14th Orissa Assembly. As many as 30 Crorepatis including 26 from the ruling Biju Janata Dal followed two from BJP, one Congress and one Independent, have been elected to the new House.

Some 94 Crorepatis had fought Assembly polls while 30 made it to State Assembly while rest had to wait for another five years.

Jitu Patnaik, the independent candidate from Champua in Keonjhar district, becomes the first member of the State Assembly to have properties worth more than Rs. 100 crores owned by him and his spouse. He beat three other crorepatis in closely fought election.

Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik and several of his ministerial colleagues have figured in the BJD’s crorepati list.

However, Praveen Chandra Bhanjdeo who defeated his nearest Jharkhand Mukti Morcha candidate in Morada seat under Mayurbhanj district will be the richest BJD member. He owned properties worth more than Rs. 21 crores.

Father and son crorepati duo of Prafulla Chandra Ghadai, finance minister in the last government and Priti Ranjan Ghadai won their elections from Sukinda and Korei Assembly segments. They have properties worth more than Rs. 2 crores each.

The senior most legislator V. Sugnana Kumari Deo who has more than Rs. 9 crores worth property has also been returned to Assembly by winning record ninth time from Ganjam district.

Five of the crorepati winners are from royal families. They are senior BJP leader K. V. Singh Deo and BJD candidates A. U. Singh Deo, Pratap Keshari Deo, Praveen Chandra Bhanjdeo and V. Sugnana Kumari Deo.