Mahendra Karma’s widow richest woman candidate

■ Cong tribal candidate richer than Raman

Chhattisgarh chief minister Raman Singh may be a “crorepati”, but is poorer than Congress’ tribal candidate in Kondagaon in Bastar division.

Mohan Markam — a former government school teacher who is seeking re- election from Kondagaon ( ST) constituency in south Chhattisgarh’s Bastar, is richer than Mr Singh by ` 1 crore.

According to ADR data, Congress nominee in Dantewada ( ST) Assembly constituency, Devti Karma, was the richest candidate among the women MLA aspirants in these seats.

Devti, the widow of anti- Naxal civil resistance force Salwa Judum founder Mahendra Karma, owned properties worth ` 9 crore.

Mr Karma, along with 26 other Congress leaders, was brutally killed by Maoists in Bastar district on May 25, 2013.

According to affidavits filed by them along with their nomination papers, while Mr Markam’s properties were estimated ` 11 crore, Mr Singh owned moveable and immovable assets worth ` 10 crore.

According to Association for Democratic Reforms ( ADR), there are 42 “crorepatis” among 187 candidates who filed nominations in 18 Assembly constituencies in Bastar and Rajnandgaon regions which are going to polls in the first phase on November 12.

The rest 72 seats are going to polls in the second and final phase on November 20.

Independent candidate from Khairagarh Assembly constituency in Rajnandgaon district is the richest among the 187 candidates.