80% newly elected mayors in UP are crorepatis: ADR

Tribune News Service

Lucknow, December 7

The Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR) and the Uttar Pradesh Election Watch (UPEW) pointed out that 80 per cent of Uttar Pradesh’s recently elected mayors are crorepatis with Agra mayor Naveen Kumar Jain being the richest, having a total asset of Rs 409 crore.

The ADR and UPEW have analysed the self-sworn affidavits of 15 of the 16 recently elected mayors.

UPEW coordinator Sanjay Singh said the large-scale violations of the model code of conduct were witnessed during the recent UP urban bodies’ polls. He said the financial background of the candidates and the misuse of money power showed that there was no scope for honest and hard-working social workers at the municipal corporation level.

Eight of the 14 BJP mayors (31 per cent) have criminal cases against them. Once again Agra’s mayor Jain has the maximum number of criminal cases (four) against him. Both BSP mayors representing Aligarh and Meerut have no criminal cases against them.