[Assam] The jewel in the Assam politician's crown -The Statesman

[Roy, Santanu]

It is perhaps better that these scoundrels are elected every time. 

Otherwise, freshly  elected representatives that are initially poor would engage in much greater intensity of wealth gathering activity. 

After all wealth gathering by politicians is not effortless. The fat old incumbents have lower incentive to engage in these activities than lean and hungry upstarts. 

Furthermore, if the electorate starts throwing out wealthy incumbents every election, then the representatives will know they have but one chance to gather all the wealth they can - this will really maximize the intensity of wealth gathering by politicians, term after term.

Note that the alternative of staying poor for an elected representative really sucks. 

First, you may not get re-elected even if you stay honest. 

Second, your rivals will be some of the fat ex-incumbents with pots of money which will make it even less likely that you will be able convince the electorate that you are honest - the media will be controlled by the guys with money. 

Finally, if almost all political representatives have chosen to be wealth gatherers and you don't, the electorate will not trust your claim. Cynicism among voters will be a very logical outcome. 

Gimme the old corrupt guys any day. 

Santanu. 

-----Original Message-----
From: assam-bounces at assamnet.org on behalf of Ram Sarangapani
Sent: Sat 3/25/2006 10:40 AM
To: ASSAMNET
Subject: [Assam] The jewel in the Assam politician's crown -The Statesman
 
*"If an average candidate's wealth is calculated at Rs 10.12 lakh, his wife
is presented as being in possession of some Rs 27 lakh. " - The Statesman*
And yet, the voting public is extremely happy to re-elect these scoundrels
every election cycle.

_______________
**
*The jewel in the Assam politician's crown*

Statesman News Service
GUWAHATI, March 24. - Assam is considered a poor state but its politicians
live lavishly - apparently because they are married to wealth.
These super-rich wives, not required to work for a living, are the
stay-at-home type, deigning sometimes to be associated with voluntary
organisations. Or, that is the impression which is being sought to be
created.
If their husbands have power, they have money; oodles of it, going by
affidavits submitted to the Election Commission by the more than 500
candidates in the first phase of the forthcoming Assembly polls.
Mandatory declarations indicate that the combined assets of the candidates'
wives would be worth Rs 266 crore.
The candidates' wealth adds up to a mere Rs 82 crore. And Mr Badarudin
Ajmal, perfume mogul who is also the president of the Assam United
Democratic Front (AUDF), alone accounts for Rs 16 crore of it. The
candidates claim to have an average of Rs 3 lakh in cash to fight
the elections but their wives are said to possess between Rs 6.3 lakh
and Rs 43 lakh, apart
from jewellery and other assets. If an average candidate's wealth is
calculated at Rs 10.12 lakh, his wife is presented as being in possession of
some Rs 27 lakh.
The candidates' ornaments total Rs 3.10 crore in value; their wives', Rs 35
crore. Most candidates have declared that their wives own houses and land in
many places.