RICHER CANDIDATES WIN, BUT RE-ELECTION A DIFFERENT STORY

There could be vast differences among Indian voters in their political choices, but all would agree on one thing: Money wins elections. Apart from money spent by the candidate and the party, the value of assets of the candidate is an important indicator of the potential to spend money, influence voters directly or indirectly.

Analysis of the assets data from Association of Democratic Reforms (ADR) shows that the average assets of a winner of the 2014 Lok Sabha election were more than the average assets of a candidate: More the money you have, more the chances of winning. But interestingly, it does not hold true for those who are reelected. The average assets of a re-elected member of parliament (MP) were not necessarily more than the average assets of an MP elected for the first time in the 2014 Lok Sabha election.

It could be said that the 2014 polls, which was termed as a wave election, more money did not necessarily mean reelection. Rather, average assets of a typical winner were more than average assets of a second-time winner, for half of the major parties.

Regional party candidates and winners had a higher average value of assets.

Maharashtra-based NCP, Punjab’s SAD were the two key parties whose re-elected MPs were massively richer than the elected MPs. For the Samajwadi Party, the BJP, the Trinamool Congress and the AIADMK, the assets of re-elected MPs was marginally lower or higher than average elected MP.

Re-elected MPs of the Congress and the Telugu Desam Party were less wealthy than the average MP elected on their party ticket.