As Kerala heads into the Assembly elections, an analysis of 863 candidates across 140 constituencies show a wide gap between the wealthiest nominees and those with minimal declared assets.

A former Nationalist Congress Party-Sharadchandra Pawar (NCP-SP) leader who joined Kerala Congress in 2024, Reji Cheriyan emerges as the wealthiest candidate with total declared assets of over ₹218 crore.

His wealth is overwhelmingly driven by immovable assets with ₹210.05 crore, while movable assets account for ₹8.91 crore.

A substantial portion of his portfolio comprises commercial buildings valued at ₹200 crore. He has also declared agricultural and non-agricultural lands, and a residential property.

His movable assets include bank deposits exceeding ₹6 crore, jewellery worth nearly ₹40 lakh, and an extensive fleet of vehicles, from luxury cars such as Mercedes-Benz and Land Rover to houseboats and speedboats.

Chenkal Rajasekharan, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate from Neyyattinkara, follows with total assets of ₹116 crore. His disclosures show sizeable investments in shares of hospitality and estate companies, accounting for nearly ₹79 crore of his movable wealth. 

A hotelier, businessman, and educationist, Rajasekharan also owns agricultural land, commercial buildings, and residential properties across Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Mumbai, taking his immovable assets to ₹33.74 crore.

Rajeev Chandrasekhar, senior BJP leader and current State President of the BJP Kerala, figures among the top three with total assets of ₹111 crore. An entrepreneur turned politician, he founded BPL Mobile in 1994, one of India’s early cellular networks.

His movable assets amount to ₹96.91 crore and an immovable property valued at ₹15.07 crore in Bengaluru. His wealth is largely investment-driven, spanning shares, mutual funds, bonds, and loans extended to business entities.

Other candidates in the wealthiest list include Shibu Theckumpuram and P.V.Anvar, each with total assets exceeding ₹65 crore.

At the opposite end of the spectrum is Ashna Thambi, a 26-year-old Socialist Unity Centre of India (Communist) candidate from Ettumanoor, who declared total assets of just ₹84 (₹40 in cash and ₹44 in bank account), with no immovable property.

Thambi has stated she is a full-time party worker from a modest family and is relying on public support for campaign funds.

Others with minimal declared wealth include Thampi Kavumpadam and Karthika Devi M (₹500 each), and Sooraj K and Rajan M (₹1,500 each), all without immovable assets.

Businessline’s analysis shows that BJP has the highest number of ₹20 crore plus candidates, with six nominees in this bracket.

Among other parties, the Indian National Congress (INC) follows with four such candidates. Kerala Congress and Kerala Congress (M) have two each. Indian Union Muslim League, the Revolutionary Socialist Party, and Kerala Congress (Jacob) have one each.

Of the 863 candidates analysed, criminal disclosures show that 324 candidates (38 per cent) have declared criminal cases against them, with 201 candidates facing serious charges. Nearly half of all candidates (46 per cent) are graduates or above, while total women candidates are 92, comprising 11 per cent of the total field.

Published on April 6, 2026