Telangana’s richest candidates battling it out in Chevella

Hyderabad, May 1: The richest candidates of the three main political parties are locked in an interesting contest in Chevella Lok Sabha constituency.

With family assets of Rs.4,568 crore, Konda Vishweshwar Reddy of the BJP is the richest among all candidates for the 17 Lok Sabha constituencies in the state.

The second-richest candidate, G Ranjith Reddy of the Congress is also contesting from Chevella. He has family assets of Rs.435.49 crore.

The assets of Konda Vishweshwar Reddy, who contested unsuccessfully on a Congress ticket, jumped by 410 per cent in five years, shows the affidavit he filed along with his nomination.

In 2019 Konda Vishweshwar Reddy had declared assets of Rs.895 crore. Elected to the Lok Sabha from Chevella on a BRS ticket in 2014, the tech entrepreneur had family assets of Rs.528 crore. His wife K. Sangita Reddy, Joint Managing Director of Apollo Hospital, owns majority of the assets.

G Ranjith Reddy, who was elected from Chevella in 2019 on a BRS ticket but is now contesting as a Congress candidate, had declared assets of Rs.163.50 crore five years ago.

Interestingly, the third-richest candidate Kasani Gyaneshwar of the BRS is also testing his electoral fortunes from Chevella, a constituency comprising parts of Hyderabad city and the rural areas of adjacent Ranga Reddy District.

Kasani Gyaneshwar has family assets of Rs.228.47 crore.

Eight candidates have assets of more than Rs.100 crore. Four of them are from the BJP and three from the BRS.

G Ranjith Reddy is the only Congress candidate in the state to have assets of over Rs.100 crore.

K. Madhavi Latha of the BJP, who is contesting from Hyderabad, is the fourth-richest candidate in the fray with assets of Rs.221.40 crore.

Nama Nageswara Rao of BRS, who is seeking re-election from Khammam, owns assets of Rs.155.90 crore.

BB Patil, who was elected from Zahirbad on a BRS ticket but recently joined the BJP, is worth Rs.151.69 crore. His assets in 2019 were to the tune of Rs.128.78 crore.

Kyama Mallesh, the BRS candidate from Bhongir, has assets of 145.34 crore.

Arvind Dharampuri of BJP, who is seeking re-election from Nizamabad, has assets of Rs. 109.89 crore. In 2019, he had assets of Rs.87.69 crore.

K Krishna Reddy, the BRS candidate from Nalgonda, has declared assets of Rs.83.66 crore while Gali Anil Kumar, BRS candidate from Zahirabad, has assets of Rs.82.92 crore.

BJP National Vice President DK Aruna, who is contesting from Mahabubnagar, owns assets of Rs.66.75 crore.

Almost all the candidates of the three main parties are crorepatis. As many as 35 candidates have assets of more Rs.10 crore each. Thirteen of them are from the BJP, 12 from the Congress and 10 from the BRS.

P Bharat Prasad, the BJP candidate from Nagarkurnool has declared assets of only Rs.33.85 lakh.

He is the son of sitting MP P. Ramulu, who was elected on a BRS ticket in the 2019 elections. The father-son duo recently defected to the BJP.

A total of 525 candidates are in the fray for 17 Lok Sabha seats in Telangana. Majority of them are Independents and candidates from smaller parties.

Polling for all 17 seats in the state is scheduled to be held on May 13.