Among major parties, 88 per cent of BJP candidates have declared assets above Rs 1 crore. The figure stands at 82 per cent for the Bodoland People’s Front, 69 per cent for Raijor Dal, and 53 per cent for the All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF). The Congress has fielded 61 per cent of candidates in the crorepati category. BJP nominees also report the highest average asset value at Rs 7.01 crore, more than double the overall average across all candidates
Nearly 40 per cent of the 722 candidates contesting the 126 constituencies in the upcoming Assam Assembly polls have declared assets exceeding Rs 1 crore, according to affidavits submitted ahead of the polls.
In total, 285 candidates fall into the 'crorepati' category. The combined declared assets of all contestants stand at approximately Rs 2,352 crore, with the average per-candidate asset estimated at Rs 3.25 crore.
The BJP-led North East Democratic Alliance (NEDA) and the Congress-led Assam Sanmilito Morcha (ASM) have fielded a comparable number of candidates—127 and 128, respectively, including friendly contests.
However, there are clear differences in the financial profiles of their nominees.
Among major parties, 88 per cent of BJP candidates have declared assets above Rs 1 crore. The figure stands at 82 per cent for the Bodoland People’s Front, 69 per cent for Raijor Dal, and 53 per cent for the All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF). The Congress has fielded 61 per cent of candidates in the crorepati category.
BJP nominees also report the highest average asset value at Rs 7.01 crore, more than double the overall average across all candidates.
At the individual level, Rahul Roy has declared the highest assets at Rs 261 crore. He is followed by Badruddin Ajmal, contesting from Binnakandi, with assets worth Rs 226 crore, and Jayanta Khaund with Rs 67 crore.
At the lower end, Gautam Nath, an independent candidate from Hailakandi, has declared assets of Rs 400.
Two other independent candidates from the same constituency- Dhrubo Chakraborty and Jibon Roy—have reported no assets.
Independent candidates account for a sizeable portion of the electoral field. A total of 258 independents are in the fray, making up around 36 per cent of all contestants.
This indicates a continued presence of non-party candidates in the state’s electoral process.
The high proportion of wealthy candidates is consistent with trends observed in elections across India.
Analyses by organisations such as the Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR) have noted a steady rise in the number of crorepati candidates over successive elections, pointing to the growing influence of money in electoral politics.
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