By IANS
Ahmedabad : Gujarat will have polls next month and, going by the assets declared by the candidates, a number of millionaires are queuing up to contest.
Saurabh Patel, minister of energy in the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government, has declared family assets worth Rs.660 million including Rs.430 million owned by his spouse.
Patel’s main opponent in the Botad constituency, Chandrakant Pithawala (Congress), a businessman, has property worth Rs.45 million, including cash, bank deposits, shares and debentures, insurance policies, jewellery, vehicles, houses and plots of land.
Ashok Shah (Congress), contesting from Surat city (west) has wealth valued at Rs.96 million, while his BJP opponent Kishore Vankawala only Rs.520,000.
BJP rebel Dhirubhai Gajera, who is contesting as a Congress candidate, has declared assets worth Rs.22 million. Gajera’s family is associated with diamond processing business in Surat.
Kirit Patel, the BJP candidate from Olpad near Surat, has an asset base worth Rs.23 million.
According to affidavits filed by the candidates declaring their assets while filing nomination papers, many of them are engaged in the diamond processing, textile, mining, real estate and other industries.
The elections for the 182-member assembly will be held Dec 11 and Dec 26.