Shillong, April 10: Sitting Congress MP Vincent Pala, contesting for his fourth term for the Shillong seat, has featured in the top 10 wealthiest candidates’ list for the phase 1 Lok Sabha elections.
Pala features as the eight wealthiest Lok Sabha candidate among the 1625 candidates who are contesting the Lok Sabha elections in phase 1, according to the Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR) and The National Election Watch.
Pala has a combined asset of Rs. 125 crore plus. According to Pala’s affidavit, he has immovable assets worth over Rs. 123 crore and movable assets worth over Rs. 2 crore.
He is the richest among all the contesting candidates in Meghalaya.
The Congress leader from Meghalaya was an A1 contractor and real estate tycoon before his foray into politics. Pala and his family own some of the most renowned and luxurious properties in posh localities in Khasi-Jaintia Hills. He also comes from the coal-rich belt of the Jaintia Hills.
Meanwhile, the top honours in this list went to another Congress candidate, Nakul Nath, contesting from Chhindwara, Madhya Pradesh, who has assets worth over Rs. 716 crore. Nakul is the son of senior Congress leader Kamal Nath.
At the bottom of this list is the Congress' Karti Chidambaram contesting from Sivaganga, Tamil Nadu, with assets totaling Rs. 96 crore. Kar is the son of former Finance Minister and senior Congress leader, P. Chidambram.
