Five crorepati candidates among 14 contestants in three Darrang Assembly segments

OUR CORRESPONDENT

MANGALDAI: In the three assembly constituencies of the Darrang district, the 14 candidates who have entered the main electoral fray have made available important personal details through their nomination affidavits. These include information on their assets and liabilities, educational qualifications, and criminal cases filed against them. 

The educational qualifications of the candidates range from a minimum of Higher Secondary (10+2) level, though the majority hold graduate degrees. The average age of the candidates is around 50 years. Among them, the oldest is BJP candidate Dr Paramananda Rajbongshi from the Sipajhar LAC, aged 67 years.

In terms of movable and immovable assets, the top position is held by 50-year-old independent candidate Ainul Haque from the Dalgaon LAC. Haque has declared total assets worth approximately Rs 12.33 crore. Additionally, he owns immovable properties valued at approximately Rs 5.30 crore as per the affidavit. However, the affidavit also shows several crores of rupees in unpaid loans.

Against Ainul Haque, a criminal case (No. 974/2024) is pending in the court of the Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate, Darrang district, involving allegations of communal conflict, illegal occupation, unauthorized entry, and destructive acts.

Meanwhile, the sitting MLA from Dalgaon LAC, Mazibur Rahman, along with his wife, owns movable and immovable assets worth approximately Rs 9.17 crore. Their movable assets total around Rs 3.08 crore. In addition, the AIUDF legislator and his wife own nearly 6.25 bighas of commercial and residential land, along with about 6 bighas of agricultural land. The total value of these immovable properties has been assessed at approximately Rs 6.09 crore. Rahman also has unpaid loans amounting to about Rs 1 crore.

Among the other three crorepati candidates on the list are Dr Paramananda Rajbongshi, the sitting MLA from Sipajhar, who has cash in hand amounting to Rs 2.43 lakh, while his wife has Rs 1.56 lakh. They also have around Rs 56 lakh in various bank accounts. Their movable assets exceed Rs 1.33 crore. The total market value of their immovable assets is shown as Rs 80.50 lakh. In contrast, they have unpaid loans of about Rs 27 lakh.

Another crorepati candidate from Sipajhar, former legislator Binand Kumar Saikia, along with his wife and children, has movable assets worth approximately Rs 1.31 crore. They also own immovable properties, with a total value of around Rs 80 lakh. However, they have unpaid loans exceeding Rs 37 lakh in their names.

The only woman crorepati candidate is Rijumoni Talukdar from the Mangaldai constituency, contesting on a Congress ticket. Together with her husband, her movable assets amount to approximately Rs 1.22 crore. The candidate herself has cash worth Rs 18.55 lakh. Rijumoni Talukdar, daughter of a resident of Namrup in Dibrugarh and currently the daughter-in-law of Aulachowka in Mangaldai, also owns a residential flat at around Rs 70 lakh. However, the affidavit mentions unpaid loans of over Rs 1 crore in her name.

Also Read: Five withdraw nominations in Darrang; 14 candidates in fray across three LACs