Odisha Sun Times Bureau

Kendrapara, Mar 31:

Former Odisha minister Atanu Sabyascahi Nayak may have lost his place in the Naveen Patnaik ministry in the wake of the May 29, 2012 coup that never was. But that has not stopped the assets of sitting Mahakalpada MLA from galloping more than four times in the last five years from a modest Rs 24. 67 lakh to Rs 1.05 crore.

Bijay Mohapatra of the BJP, Nayak’s rival in Mahakalpada this time, has failed to become an MLA in the last three elections. And yet, his assets have more than doubled from around Rs 20 lakh in 2009 to Rs 49 lakh this time as per the property affidavit filed by him.

The rise in the assets of Bed Prakash Agarwal, Mohapatra’s rival in the latter’s home turf of Patkura last time, has been relatively modest, going up from Rs 1.35 crores in 2009 to Rs 2.26 crores now.

The biggest jump in the value of assets has taken place in case of Ganeswar Behera, Congress nominee from the Kendrapara Assembly seat, going up from just Rs 5.12 lakh in 2004 to Rs 1.16 crores despite the fact that he too has failed to make it to the Assembly for the last three times.

To be fair to Behera though, a sizeable chunk of the movable and immovable assets is owned by his spouse, a government employee.

Kishore Tarai, BJD candidate from the Kendrapara Assembly seat, owned Rs 7.69 lakh property when he was elected from Pattamundai Assembly seat in 2004. His assets have now gone up to Rs 91 lakh.

As was only to be expected, Pratap Keshari Dev, a minister of state and Biju Janata Dal nominee from Aul Assembly seat, is the richest amongst the candidates in the fray for the five Assembly seats in the district.

The worth of property owned by Dev and his spouse is estimated to be Rs 3.98 crore. The 43-year-old scion of the erstwhile Aul Royal family has movable assets worth Rs 41 lakh while immovable property owned by Dev couple is to the tune of 3.57 crore. Dev's movable and immovable assets have doubled in value in the past five years.