'Assam Election Watch' Report: Assets of 34 re-elected MLAs swell manifold

STAFF REPORTER

GUWAHATI: The assets of a section of re-elected MLAs of Assam have increased on an average at 95 per cent in two consecutive terms in 2011 and 2016. And the range of increase in assets is from 47 per cent to 268 per cent. Of course, there is also one re-elected MLA in the State whose assets have decreased.

The 'Assam Election Watch' and the 'Association for Democratic Reforms' analysed the assets of 34 MLAs from 2011 to 2016. The analyses are based on the affidavits submitted by the MLAs along with their nomination papers.

According to the report, BPF (Bodoland People's Front) MLA Chandan Brahma had assets valued at Rs 2.60 crore in 2011 that swelled to Rs 9.54 crore in 2016 — registering an increase of 268 per cent. Next to Brahma comes Abdur Rahim Ajmal of the AIUDF (All India United Democratic Front). His assets in 2011 were valued at Rs 6.48 crore that rose to Rs 13.10 crore in 2016 – indicating an increase of 92 per cent.

Likewise, the growth of assets of a few other re-elected MLAs in the State from 2011 to 2016 was quite phenomenal. During the two consecutive election years i.e., 2011 and 2016 in the State, while the assets of Congress MLA Nazrul Islam increased from Rs 2.58 crore to Rs 5.91 crore (129%), BJP (Bharatiya Janata Party) MLA Himanta Biswa Sarma's assets grew from Rs 3.06 crore to Rs 6.38 crore (108%), AGP (Asom Gana Parishad) MLA Prafulla Kumar Mahanta's assets grew from Rs 4.86 crore to Rs 7.92 crore (63%), BJP MLA Piyush Hazarika's assets grew from Rs 77.48 lakh to Rs 4.38 crore (201%), Rakibul Hussain's assets grew from Rs 2.16 crore to Rs 4.38 crore (102%), BJP MLA Ranjeet Kumar Dass' assets grew from Rs 1.53 crore to Rs 2.31 crore (47%) and BJP MLA Prasanta Phukan's assets grew from Rs 80.18 lakh to Rs 1.82 crore (127%).

Significantly, Congress MLA Debabrata Saikia's assets decreased from Rs 5.50 crore in 2011 to Rs 4.55 crore in 2016 — registering a decline of 17 per cent.

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