Ranchi: The ten richest among the 199 candidates in fray in the first phase of polling for Jharkhand Assembly belong to Palamau division, according to an NGO involved in election watch.
Five of the crorepati candidates are contesting from Palamau district and the rest from neighbouring Garhwa district in the division.
Jharkhand Vikas Morcha(P) candidate Madhu Sudan Tripathy is placed at the top of the list with about Rs 23 crore moveable and immovable assets, NGO 'Democratic Reforms and Jharkhand Election Watch' said.
Tripathy, who is pitted against Congress candidate and sitting MLA Bidesh Singh from Panki assembly constituency, has declared movable assets of Rs 2,08,92,29 and immovable assets amounting Rs 21,45,00,000, it said.
Another Panki seat candidate Kushwah Sashi Bhushan Mehta (Independent) is a distant second owning Rs 13 crore - Rs 2,70,14,107 movable and Rs 10,81,00,000 immovable assets.
Independent candidate Asgar Ali, who is contesting from Garhwa, has declared owning over Rs eiht crore - Rs 11,15,739 movable and Rs 8,50,28,000 immovable assets.
BJP''s Anant Pratap Deo from Garwha has declared about Rs seven crore rupees in his affidavit with movable assets being Rs 57,71,750 and immovable Rs 6,51,00,000, the Election watch said quoting from his affidavit.
RJD's Jharkhand unit president and former minister Girinath Singh and BJP nominees Satyendra Nath Tiwari, both contesting from Garhwa constituency, declared assets of about Rs five crore each.
Mithilesh Kumar, JMM'S Garhwa candidate, Manoj Kumar Singh BJP contestant from Daltonganj, Rajesh Mehta from Bishrampur and former minister Kamlesh Kumar Singh who is contesting on a NCP ticket from Hussainabad declared about Rs four crore each.
Independent candidate of Manika seat, Umashankar Baiga declared has the lowest asset - just Rs 21,276 and not a single immovable asset, the Election Watch said.
