In the upcoming third phase of Assembly elections in Odisha, 126 out of 381 candidates are 'crorepatis', with Sanatan Mahakud from BJD being the richest at Rs 227.67 crore. The ADR and Odisha Election Watch analyzed the affidavits of these candidates, noting that money plays a significant role in elections as all major parties field wealthy candidates. Despite this, some candidates have very low assets, such as Kailash Chandra Nayak with Rs 1,000, Sukanta Ghadai with Rs 2,000, and Gopinath Nayak with Rs 2,000. Additionally, 100 candidates have declared criminal cases against them, with 86 facing serious charges.
