Nagaland Elections 2023: 87% Of NDPP-BJP Candidates Crorepatis: Report

Ahead of the polls, 116 candidates have declared assets of over Rs 1 crore, two more than in the previous polls. With 52 of their candidates declaring assets of over Rs 1 crore, 87 per cent of NDPP-BJP candidates are crorepatis.

The average assets per candidate in the 2023 polls is Rs 5.13 crores. In the 2018 polls, average assets per candidate was Rs 3.76 crores.

With assets of over Rs 160 crore, Dr Sukhato A Sema, who is contesting from Pughoboto on a Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) ticket, is the richest candidate in this election.

Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio is the second richest candidate, with assets of over Rs 46 crore.

Congress candidate T Ngampai Konyak, who is contesting from Phomching, has declared assets of only Rs 5,251 - the lowest among all contestants.

This year, 53 candidates are re-contesting the elections, with 36 of them belonging to the NDPP-BJP alliance.

In the last five years, the average assets of these 53 candidates grew by 30 per cent to reach Rs 7.10 crore.

The assets of NDPP candidate from Tamlu, BS Nganlang Phom, rose from Rs 21.91 lakhs in 2018 to Rs 15.05 crore in 2023 - a whopping 6,870 per cent hike.

Seven out of the 184 candidates have declared criminal cases against themselves. In 2018, only three out of the 193 candidates had declared criminal cases against themselves.

Only four women candidates are contesting the upcoming election - two from the NDPP, one each from the BJP and Congress. In 2018, five out of the 193 candidates were women. Interestingly, Nagaland has not had a woman MLA since its inception in 1963.