Bhubaneswar, Dec. 3: The BJD's candidate for Rajya Sabha bypoll, Narendra Swain, 76, who filed his nomination papers today, appears to be a leader with modest means with the worth of his assets, both movable and immovable, is Rs 28 lakh.
The affidavit, submitted at the time of filing his nomination papers, revealed that he has Rs 44,593 in his bank account and another Rs 10,000 cash in hand.
His wife, Suprabha Swain, is richer than him with bank deposits worth Rs 1,73,465. She had 30 grams of gold jewellery worth of Rs 75,000. But, Suprabha had been working as a schoolteacher and retired as the headmistress of Cuttack-based Ravenshaw Girls' High School.
Swain has not taken any loans from any bank and has no liabilities. A bachelor of law from Madhusudan Law College, he has movable assets wroth Rs 54,593, while his wife's movable assets have been valued at Rs 2.71 lakh.
Swain, who hails from Tandikana village in the Govindpur police station limits in Cuttack district, has purchased land and other immovable assets worth Rs 8.60 lakh. He has inherited assets, including land worth Rs 18.18 lakh, from his family. The present market value of these properties is estimated around Rs 28.43 lakh. Swain's spouse has purchased immovable assets, including land worth Rs 37.78 lakh.
Swain filed two sets of nomination papers. While the first set had BJD supremo and chief minister Naveen Patnaik and 10 others as his proposers, in the second set those included co-operation minister Damodar Rout and former minister Surjya Narayan Patro.
Swain's victory is a foregone conclusion as the ruling party has 117 members in the 147-member Assembly. The Congress has 16 MLAs and the BJP 10. No one from the Opposition has filed any nomination papers - for which today was the last day.
BJD leaders said Swain had been rewarded for his hard work and loyalty to the leadership.
He was handpicked by the chief minister for the seat vacated following the death of former minister Kalpataru Das.
After filing his papers, Swain said: "I will continue to raise my voice against the Centre's neglect of Odisha and see to it that the state gets its due."
