Municipal elections tend to be judged on civic delivery and local problem-solving, yet candidate selection in city for the upcoming Corporation polls signals a shift towards financial heft as a key credential. Candidate affidavits uploaded on late Monday night by the Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) expose the sheer quantum of wealth now concentrated within the electoral field, most visibly through the rise in ‘crorepati’ nominees backed by major parties. The data points imply that financial muscle, rather than ideological affinity or civic activism, has become a central filter in ticket distribution. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), currently in Government at the State and national level, has fielded more than 70 candidates whose declared assets exceed Rs 1 crore.

 

The Indian National Congress (INC) has placed roughly 50 candidates in the same category across the city. Combined, the two national parties have injected over 120 crorepatis into a municipal contest that historically drew mixed-income aspirants from neighbourhood-level networks. This elevation of personal wealth as a visible metric marks a structural departure in local politics. The uploaded affidavits allow granular comparisons. BJP’s Virendra Kukreja from Ward 1 (D) has emerged as the wealthiest contender with declared family assets of Rs 94.94 crore. His affidavit reports Rs 71.08 crore in movable assets and Rs 23.86 crore in immovable assets, alongside liabilities of Rs 62.29 crore. His assets have risen more than four-fold from Rs 16.76 crore declared in 2017. Another BJP nominee, Sadhna Barde from Ward 12 (C), recorded family assets of approximately Rs 34 crore. Congress’ contribution to the crorepati bloc is smaller in volume, but substantial in value.

 

Shailesh Pande from Ward 11 (D) has declared assets of Rs 26 crore, while Pravin Narad from Ward 26 (D) has listed assets nearing Rs 29 crore. Congress candidate Kumudini Gudadhe from Ward 38 (B) declared assets of Rs 27.10 crore and liabilities of Rs 3.59 crore, reflecting a financial profile common among the upper tier of party-endorsed nominees. The contrast with candidates outside this band is stark. Independent candidate Komal Chaudhary from Ward 12 (D) declared total family assets of Rs 7.78 lakh and an annual income below Rs 3 lakh. Such filings underline the widening gap between big-party nominees and independent aspirants on economic footing. Affidavits reviewed also show diversity in education and occupation, but these elements no longer appear predictive of party preference or electoral viability.

 

Former Mayor Maya Iwnate, contesting as a BJP candidate with education up to Class 5, declared assets of Rs 4.06 crore, while postgraduate BJP candidate Sandip Gawai from Ward 35 (A) declared assets of Rs 10.39 crore with liabilities of Rs 42.13 lakh. Criminal disclosures remain limited, with only a small number of candidates listing ongoing cases. The cumulative disclosures consolidate the trend. Municipal representation is now materially shaped by candidates whose asset bases run into crores, reshaping the socio-economic profile of civic power networks.