Madhya Pradesh elects 205 crorepati lawmakers; BJP MLA tops list with Rs 296-cr assets
Bhopal, Dec 6: As many as 205 of the 230 newly-elected MLAs in Madhya Pradesh are crorepatis with state Congress president Kamal Nath figuring among the three richest lawmakers with more than Rs 134 crore worth of assets.
Newly-elected BJP MLA from Ratlam City, Chaitanya Kashyap, tops the list with declared assets worth Rs 296 crore, while his party colleague Sanjay Satyendra Pathak (Vijayraghavgarh) was at the second spot with Rs 242 crore assets, according an Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR) report.
It said the number of MLAs possessing assets worth more than Rs 1 crore increased to 205 in 2023 from 187 in 2018. Of these crorepati MLAs, 144 are from the BJP and 61 from the Congress.
The BJP swept the Madhya Pradesh assembly polls, winning 163 seats, increasing its tally from 109 in 2018. The Congress, which had won 114 seats in 2018 in the state, was reduced to 66 seats, while new entrant Bharat Adivasi Party managed to win in one constituency.
The winning candidate of the Bharat Adivasi Party, Kamlesh Dodiyar, leads among the newly elected MLAs with lowest assets. Dodiyar has declared assets worth Rs 18 lakh.
Two other candidates with lowest assets included BJP's Santosh Varkade (Sihora) with assets worth Rs 25 lakh and his party colleague Kanchan Mukesh Tanve (Khandwa) with assets totalling Rs 26 lakh, said the report.
Among the candidates having highest liabilities, BJP's former minister Surendra Patwa (Bhojpur) is leading with debt of Rs 57 crore, Dinesh Jain (Mahidpur) of the Congress was on second place with Rs 30 crore and BJP's Bhupendra Singh (Khurai) on third with Rs 23 crore, said the ADR.
The report said of the 205 crorepatis, 102 MLAs have declared assets of Rs 5 crore and above. As many as 71 legislators have declared assets between Rs 2 crore and Rs 5 crore. Also, 48 legislators have declared assets between Rs 50 lakh and Rs 2 crores while nine of the elected MLAs own assets lower than Rs 50 lakh.
The average assets of the newly-elected MLAs stood at Rs 11.77 crore, up from Rs 10.17 crore in 2018, said the report.
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Cong to hold 'Jai Hind Sabhas' from May 20-30, raise questions on Trump's ceasefire claims
New Delhi (PTI): The Congress on Thursday announced that it will hold 'Jai Hind Sabhas' in 15 states between May 20 and 30, and raise questions on the government's handling of national security and its "silence" on the "concerning involvement" of the US in halting hostilities between India and Pakistan.
These meetings will see the involvement of army veterans, party leaders and the general public, Congress general secretary in-charge organisation K C Venugopal said in a post on X.
"Indian National Congress will hold 'Jai Hind Sabhas' across India to salute the supreme valour and success of our Armed Forces. We also must raise serious questions on security lapses, the Government's handling of national security, and its silence on the concerning involvement of the US in our national security matters," Venugopal said.
"From May 20-30, Jai Hind Sabhas will be held in Delhi, Barmer, Shimla, Haldwani, Patna, Jabalpur, Pune, Goa, Bengaluru, Kochi, Guwahati, Kolkata, Hyderabad, Bhubaneswar & Pathankot, involving army veterans, party leaders, and the general public," he said.
The announcement of the meetings' timeline comes a day after the Congress announced its plan to hold rallies across the country.
The Congress has accused the BJP of "politicising" Operation Sindoor and said that it will take out rallies across the country to question the prime minister's "silence" on US President Donald Trump's claims of mediating a ceasefire between India and Pakistan.
Addressing a joint press conference after a meeting attended by several Congress Working Committee (CWC) members and senior leaders on Wednesday, Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh and party media and publicity department head Pawan Khera said the BJP was trying to make the military action a "brand" for itself when the operation belongs to the armed forces and the country.
A CWC resolution was adopted at the meeting which said the attack in Pahalgam raises "deeply troubling" questions about an "apparent intelligence failure".
"Despite heightened tensions and known threats in the region, the terrorists managed to execute a major attack, claiming precious lives. While we wait for an official assessment, it is unfortunate that no accountability has yet been fixed," the resolution said.
The terrorists responsible for the Pahalgam attack remain at large and the CWC demands their immediate apprehension and prosecution, it said.
The government must explain how such a lapse was allowed to occur and why necessary preventive measures were not taken despite clear warnings, it added.
"National security cannot be managed through public relations exercises on television; it demands professional rigour, vigilance, and institutional accountability," the resolution stated.
It said equally surprising was the abrupt end of India's retaliatory action against Pakistan, which has left behind a trail of unanswered questions.
"The sudden halt, without clarity or communication, has led to speculation and concern across the country. Adding to this is the deeply problematic statement by US President Donald Trump, who was the first to claim that a ceasefire was brokered with the use of trade threats and pressure on India," the resolution said.
The government's silence on this matter is inexplicable and unacceptable, it said.
