Rajkot, 20 April - The upcoming elections in Saurashtra-Kutch have drawn attention to the financial profiles of candidates, with 12 out of 16 candidates from Congress, BJP, and AAP declaring assets in excess of one crore rupees. Additionally, nine candidates are contesting while in debt.

The filing of nomination papers on the last day revealed that both the Congress and BJP are major contenders for the eight Lok Sabha seats in Saurashtra-Kutch, with the Bhavnagar seat being left to the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) as per an agreement. Among the candidates, Union Minister Mandaviya is the wealthiest, with assets worth Rs 5.96 crore, followed by Poonam Madam from the BJP with assets worth Rs 64.32 crore.

In the Rajkot constituency, BJP candidate Parshottam Rupala leads with assets worth Rs 18.54 crore, while Congress candidate Paresh Dhanani has declared assets worth Rs 1.66 crore. Other notable declarations include BJP candidate Poonam Madam from Jamnagar with Rs 64.32 crore, Congress candidate Jayanti P Maraviya from Jamnagar with Rs 99.09 lakh, and Union Minister Mansukh Mandaviya from Porbandar with Rs 5.96 crore in assets.

It is worth mentioning that three women candidates, two from BJP and one from Congress, have declared assets exceeding Rs 1 crore. Moreover, candidates from both major parties in Rajkot, Junagadh, and Porbandar are among the crorepati candidates, with several candidates investing in the stock market. The elections in Saurashtra-Kutch are expected to witness a close contest between the two major political parties, setting the stage for an interesting electoral battle.