As many as 14 crorepati candidates out of total 36 are contesting on Chandigarh’s lone Lok Sabha seat. Among them, three candidates are facing criminal cases.

As per the data analysis by the Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR)-National Election Watch, 39 percent candidates i.e. 14 out of total 36 in Chandigarh are crorepati. Topping the list of crorepati here is Bharatiya Janata Party’s candidate and outgoing MP Kirron Kher (total assets Rs 47 crore) followed by Aam Aadmi party’s nominee Harmohan Dhawan (total assets Rs 24 crore) and Sarabjeet Singh Sohal of Bhartiya Rashtrawadi Party (total assets Rs 19 crore).

The actor turned politician, Kher’s assets have seen an increase of 42 percent (Rs 13 crore) since 2014 Lok Sabha polls, when she was elected Member Parliament Chandigarh. In 2014, her total assets (movable and immovable) were pegged at Rs 33 crore while in 2019, the assets are pegged at Rs  47 crore, the ADR analysis stated.

As far as criminal cases against candidates in Chandigarh are concerned, three candidates of registered political parties have declared the criminal charges against them. Lashkar Singh of CPI (ML) Red Star and Gurmail Singh of AIFB are facing charges related to cheating and dishonesty inducing delivery of property (IPC Sector 420) and criminal conspiracy (IPC Section 120 B). Avinash Singh Sharma of Chandigarh Ki Aawaz Party is facing charge related to disobedience to order duty promulgated by public servant (IPC Section 188), the report stated.

Earlier, a survey conducted by the ADR had showed that water and air pollution, noise pollution  and better hospitals/primary healthcare centres  are the top three voters’ priorities in Chandigarh. The performance of the government/ administration on all these top three voters’ priorities was rated below average by the respondents. Water and air pollution was rated 1.65 on a scale of 5, noise pollution was rated 1.83 and primary healthcare centres was rated 1.96 out of 5.