Telangana Assembly Elections 2023: Who Are The Richest And Poorest Candidates In The Fray?

In Telangana, an overwhelming 90 percent of the currentvMLAs have a millionaire's status, boasting average assets exceeding Rs 13 crore. Alarmingly, over 60 percent of these legislators have criminal records, according to a recent report released by the Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR) on October 21, 2023.

The report is based on the analysis of affidavits submitted by the candidates before the 2018 Assembly elections and subsequent by-elections.

Out of the 118 MLAs constituting the current state Assembly, a staggering 106 are identified as millionaires. Among them, 72 have admitted their involvement in criminal cases.

The ruling BRS party has 101 MLAs in Telangana, followed by seven from the All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM), six from the Congress, and two from the BJP, with one suspended. The remaining two MLAs are independent.

Notably, seven sitting MLAs are currently facing charges related to attempted murder, including individuals such as BJP's T Raja Singh (Goshamahal) and M Bhupal Reddy (Narayankhed), as well as BRS members Athram Sakku (Asifabad), CM K Chandrashekar Rao (Gajwel), Finance Minister T Harish Rao (Siddipet), Danam Nagender (Khairatabad), and M Yadagiri Reddy (Jangaon).

Additionally, four MLAs are embroiled in cases related to crimes against women, while BJP's M Raghunandhan Rao from Dubbak has been charged with rape.

The BRS has the highest number of FIRs registered against its MLAs, with as many as 59 legislators facing this distinction. Other parties also have members with criminal cases, with six out of seven AIMIM MLAs, four from Congress, two from the BJP, and one independent all declaring criminal records.

Out of the 72 MLAs with criminal cases, 44 are facing serious charges including assault, murder, kidnapping, and rape. The breakdown is as follows: 38 of these legislators belong to the BRS, three from the Congress, two from the BJP, and one independent.

Examining the financial background, 106 of the sitting MLAs declared themselves as millionaires, with assets exceeding Rs 1 crore. Out of these, 93 MLAs belong to the ruling BRS, five to the AIMIM, four to the Congress, two to the BJP, and two being independent MLAs.

BRS MLA Marri Janardhana Reddy from Nagarkurnool tops the list as the richest MLA, declaring assets worth over Rs 161 crore. He is closely followed by K Upender Reddy from Palair and P Shekar Reddy from Bhongir, with assets worth over Rs 91 crore each. Notably, Upender Reddy has listed liabilities exceeding Rs94 crore, three crores more than his total assets, while Janardhan Reddy has liabilities of over Rs63 crore.

The average assets of BRS MLAs amount to Rs 14.11 crore, while the AIMIM MLAs possess an average of Rs 10.84 crore.

Telangana's Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao (KCR) has a declared net worth of over Rs 23 crore, with liabilities ofRs 8 crore, according to the ADR report. In contrast, a Congress MLA's average assets in Telangana amount to Rs 4.22 crore, while a BJP MLA's wealth reaches Rs 32.61 crore. The two independent MLAs have an average of Rs 4.66 crore in assets.

Among the MLAs with the lowest assets, AIMIM's Ahmed Pasha Quadri (Yakutpura) takes the lead with assets worth ₹19 lakh. He is followed by two BRS MLAs: Ravi Shankar Sunke (Choppadandi) with just over Rs 20 lakh and Athram Sakku (Asifabad) with around Rs 27 lakh.

Regarding educational qualifications, 69 legislators are at least graduates, while 43 MLAs have educational qualifications ranging from classes 5 to 12. Five MLAs are diploma holders, while one has declared themselves as "just literate."

In terms of age, 43 MLAs (58 percent) fall between the ages of 30 and 50, while 75 MLAs (64 percent) are between 51 and 80.

In gender terms, only six MLAs are women, comprising a mere five percent, while 112 are men.