It’s that time again when politicians start filing nominations to contest Lok Sabha elections, and are required to make honest declarations about various aspects of their lives through sworn affidavits to the Election Commission of India. The size of their bank balance and other assets, a key part of these affidavits, becomes a matter of immense public scrutiny. Here’s one reason why.

       The gulf between candidates and eventual winners in terms of the wealth they possess has increased sharply over time. In 2004, a median Lok Sabha candidate boasted of assets worth ？6.2 lakh, while winners had median assets worth ？55.2 lakh. That’s a factor of nearly nine times. But in 2019, the two numbers were ？27 lakh and ？4.8 crore—a factor of 18 times.

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