In the first phase of Bihar elections, 73% of the candidates are crorepatis. According to ADR report, 178 candidates on 121 seats are owners of properties worth crores. The richest is JDU’s Kumar Pushpanjay (₹71.67 crore) and the poorest is CPI-ML’s Qamuddin Ansari (₹37 thousand).
Patna: In the first phase of Bihar Assembly elections 2025, the ledger of assets of the leaders has been opened. Shocking revelations have come from the affidavits of the candidates. According to the report of Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR), in the first phase, 178 candidates on 121 seats in 18 districts are crorepatis. That means, about 73 percent candidates have assets worth crores. The richest candidate among them is JDU’s Kumar Pushpanjay, who is contesting from Barbigha seat. He has assets worth Rs 71 crore 67 lakh. The poorest candidate is Qamuddin Ansari of Male, who is contesting from Arrah assembly seat and his declared assets are only ₹ 37 thousand.
long list of millionaires
According to ADR report, in the first phase of elections, 92 candidates of NDA and 86 candidates of India Alliance are crorepatis. Overall, almost every third candidate owns one or more cars, bungalows and huge bank balances. On an average, the assets of each candidate are estimated to be around Rs 2.73 crore.
Who is the richest candidate in the first phase of Bihar elections 2025?
- Kumar Pushpanjay (JDU, Barbigha) — ₹71.67 crore
- Rajiv Ranjan (BJP, Nalanda) — ₹44 crore
- Manjeet Kumar (Congress, Gaya Town) — ₹31 crore
- Sandeep Yadav (RJD, Jhajha) — ₹26 crore
- Pushpa Devi (BJP, Katoria) — ₹19 crore
List of poorest candidates in Bihar elections 2025
- Kyamuddin Ansari (CPI-ML, Arrah) — ₹37,000
- Shanti Kumari (Independent, Arwal) — ₹45,000
- Vijay Paswan (BSP, Sheikhpura) — ₹70,000
Most of the movable and immovable assets owned by these poor candidates are nominal and they also have less than Rs 1 lakh in their bank accounts.
Interesting match in the first phase
Many high-profile candidates are in the fray for the 121 seats where voting is to be held in the first phase. Caste equations, development issues and now ‘money power’ together are going to have a big impact on these seats. Political experts believe that the increasing number of millionaires highlights the role of money in the politics of Bihar. A political analyst says, “This time the number of millionaire candidates has increased rapidly compared to the last two elections. Earlier this trend was visible in urban areas, now rural seats are also full of rich candidates.”
Highlights of ADR Report
- Total candidates: 1098 candidates for 243 seats
- Crorepati Candidates: 178 (73%)
- Average wealth: ₹2.73 crore
- Crorepati among women candidates: 41%
- Candidates with assets less than Rs 50 lakh: 17%