According to National Election Watch (NEW), a nationwide campaign of NGOs and other citizen-led organisations working on electoral reforms, improving democracy and governance in India, the region’s big fishes are spread across three political parties – Congress, BJP and AUDF.
The crorepatti MPs from the North-East include Ajmal, Vincent H Pala of Meghalaya who was elected from Shillong Lok Sabha constituency, Ninong Ering (Arunachal East), Ranee Narah (Lakhimpur), Biren Singh Engti (Diphu), Takam Sanjoy (Arunachal West), Prem Das Rai (Sikkim), Bijoy Krishna Handique (Jorhat) and Rajen Gohain (Nagaon).
The survey conducted on the basis of affidavits filed by the candidates at the time of filing of nomination is quite revealing.
According to NEW, the AUDF president’s net wealth, including both movable and immovable properties, is of the order of over Rs 30 crore. His movable assets are estimated at around Rs 3.19 crore and immovable Rs 27.15 crore.
Pala’s net worth is second only to Ajmal’s in the North-East, with movable and immovable assets calculated at over Rs 25 crore. He won the Shillong seat on Congress ticket and according to NEW, he has not submitted his PAN card details to the Election Commission.
Ninong G Erring of Arunachal East has movable and immovable properties worth over Rs 10 crore. He too has not submitted PAN card details.
Ranee Narah, if the survey report is to be believed, is the fourth richest MP of the region with properties worth over Rs 5 crore. Her movable assets are estimated at Rs1.80 crore and immovable at Rs 3.59 crore – totaling Rs 5,39,76,300.
Biren Singh Engti, who is one of the hot contenders for a ministerial berth in the new Council of Ministers, is worth over Rs 2 crore. His assets, both movable and immovable, are of the same order as that of Takam Sanjoy who wrested the Arunchal West seat.
Prem Das Rai of Sikkim Democratic Front has assets calculated at over Rs 1 crore.
Union Minister of State Bijoy Krishna Handique has movable assets worth Rs 24,28,123 and immovable Rs 1,30,00,000 totaling over Rs 1.5 crore.
Rajen Gohain of BJP has assets worth Rs 1 crore. However, he is the only MP from the North-East to figure in the NEW list of elected MPs with criminal charges.
Gohain is accused in several cases under IPC Sections 500,501B, 502B, 34.
NEW said that a total of 8070 candidates representing 369 parties contested in the recently held elections. NEW has looked at affidavits of 533 declared winners (MPs) for the Lok Sabha 2009 out of 541 declared results so far.