What if you were told that being a politician could yield you better returns than stock? At least, that is what the recent report released by a poll rights group Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR) seems to suggest. Revealing shocking figures, the ADR report showed that the assets of Trinamool Congress candidate and sitting MLA Jyotsna Mandi have increased by a whopping 1985.68% in the last five years- more than the biggest billionaires around the world.
The affidavit filed by her to the Election Commission shows that her total assets grew from ₹1,96,633 in 2016 to ₹41,01,144 in 2021, a record increase of ₹39,04,511.
Recently, the West Bengal Election Watch and the ADR have conducted a joint survey of the affidavits of the 30 candidates contesting the first phase of assembly elections in West Bengal to be held on March 27.
That’s not at all, ADR in its survey found that assets of another TMC sitting MLA from Keshiary (ST) constituency in Paschim Medinipur district, Paresh Murmu, also rose by 246.34 percent. In 2016, his assets were worth Rs 11,57,926 and now those are valued at Rs 40,10,329,
While these names are making rounds for having recorded the highest percentage increase in wealth, they are still nowhere close to the current Technical Education minister of Mamata Banerjee’s cabinet, Ashima Patra, an MLA from the Dhaniakhali constituency. In the 2016 election, she recorded the highest jump in assets value from 2011 to 2016 in terms of percentage with a 3,185% jump.
The ADR hasn’t yet analyzed the current affidavit by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, but her 2016 figures are nothing less than interesting.
In the 2011 election affidavit, Mamata Banerjee has shown her assets worth Rs. 15,84,189. However, during the 2016 assembly elections, the TMC supremo declared in her affidavit that her movable assets had inflated up to Rs 30,45,012 – meaning she had doubled her asset value.
It has allegedly been a trend amongst the ruling TMC, where the state leaders have minted some serious money during their tenure as office-bearers. TMC leaders have been accused several times of taking cut money to help people avail benefits of state-run welfare schemes with rates ranging from ₹200 to ₹25,000 depending upon the benefits. There also have been allegations that cut money was being charged for infrastructure projects, adding to their cost.
It must be interesting for readers to know that even Mamata Banerjee is aware of the fact that her party workers are involved in taking bribes and illegal commissions and even directed them to return all the extorted money.
Patronized by Trinamool Congress councilors and members and government officials, the syndicate groups have also spread their tentacles from real estate to Durga Puja. These groups control the sale of land, construction, and building material and if the buyer seeks legit means, the syndicates make sure he succumbs to their demands.
In the past 10 years, while the public bears the brunt of Mamata’s lackadaisical approach, her MLAs continue to rake in the moolah by fleecing the exchequer but now people can tell Mamata Didi, no more ‘khela hobe’, it’s time for ‘khela shesh hobe’.
