According to analysis of affidavits done by the Association for Democratic Reforms and National Election Watch, the percentage rise in assets of re-contesting MPs in the 2009 Lok Sabha elections was 289% over the intervening five years. In the recent assembly elections, ADR’s comparisons based on assets of 337 re-contesting candidates from four states and one Union territory indicated an average increase of 71% to 195%. Ask any fund manager to match that kind of return.
Tamil Nadu topped the list with its 97 re-contesting MLAs having almost tripled their assets in the past five years, an increase of 195%. Assam was just a little behind with the average increase being 187% and Kerala another step back at 175%. Puducherry with an average of 136% growth in assets and West Bengal with 71% brought up the rear.
Gold, which convincingly beats most other investments, would have at 138%, yielded you a return comparable to the Puducherry level over these last five years. But even its glitter would fade before the levels achieved in the two southern states and Assam.
Obviously, if investment in gold could not match up to the financial acumen of the average recontesting MLA, other investments too don’t stand any chance. The average annual return from mutual funds in the past five years was 10.86%, which meant a 67% increase over the five-year period from 2006.