Amidst the ongoing Lok Sabha elections, attention is drawn to Dr. Chandra Sekhar Pemmasani, the Telugu Desam Party’s nominee for the Guntur Lok Sabha constituency in Andhra Pradesh. Dr. Pemmasani’s candidacy is notable not just for his political ambitions but also for his immense wealth, making him the wealthiest candidate in the fourth phase of elections, with assets valued at Rs 5,705 crore.
As per his declaration, Dr. Chandra Sekhar Pemmasani, representing the Telugu Desham Party in Andhra Pradesh’s Guntur constituency, possesses movable assets worth Rs 55,98,64,80,786, immovable assets worth Rs 1,06,82,46,752, resulting in a total asset value of 57,05,47,27,538.
Dr. Pemmasani’s trajectory is defined by academic prowess and career accomplishments. He attained his MBBS degree from Dr. NTR University of Health Sciences in 1999 and later pursued an MD in internal medicine from the Geisinger Medical Center in Pennsylvania, USA, graduating in 2005. Despite establishing himself abroad, Dr. Pemmasani remains closely connected to his roots in Andhra Pradesh.
In addition to his medical and political commitments, Dr. Pemmasani is celebrated for his entrepreneurial endeavors. He serves as the founder and CEO of UWorld, an online learning platform that has played a pivotal role in assisting students in their preparation for diverse competitive examinations. Dr. Pemmasani’s business acumen was honored with the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award in 2020.
Dr. Pemmasani’s wealth is remarkable, with investments spanning across more than 100 companies and properties in both India and the US. His movable assets comprise two Mercedes cars, one Tesla, and a Rolls Royce.
However, alongside his financial accomplishments, Dr. Pemmasani confronts substantial liabilities totaling Rs 1,038 crore. Furthermore, an ongoing FIR against him for IPC offenses concerning illicit payments linked to an election and bribery casts doubts on his integrity and capacity to fulfill the role of a conscientious political figure.
“Unfortunately, these days, politics has become an expensive process,” he said in an interview with NDTV.
“Not that is that is the change. Actually, we all need to discuss about it, right? Not common people cannot contest in any of these elections,” he added.
Dr. Pemmasani encounters formidable competition in the Guntur Lok Sabha constituency from the YSRCP’s Kilari Venkata Rosaiah, who currently serves as the MLA from Ponnur. In the preceding elections, the TDP’s Galla Jaydev secured a narrow victory over the YSRCP’s M Venugopal Reddy by a margin of 4,205 votes.
In West Bengal, the fourth phase of the Lok Sabha elections features 21 candidates across eight constituencies, each possessing assets exceeding Rs 1 crore. Notably, BJP’s Amitra Roy emerges as the wealthiest contender in Krishnanagar, boasting total assets valued at Rs 554 crore. Following closely behind are TMC’s Asansol candidate Shatrughan Sinha and Baharampur candidate Yusuf Pathan, with assets worth Rs 210 crore and Rs 45 crore respectively.
