Millionaire Ministers: A Look at India’s Wealthiest Chief Ministers

According to a recent report by the Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR), most of India’s Chief Ministers (CMs) are millionaires. Out of the 30 incumbent CMs, only West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee has assets below ₹1 crore, with a declared worth of ₹15 lakh. Jagan Mohan Reddy, the current CM of Andhra Pradesh, is the wealthiest CM, with assets worth more than ₹510 crores.
The average asset value of the Chief Ministers is ₹33.96 crore, with 97% of the incumbents being Crorepatis. However, the report also highlights a worrying statistic of 43% of the CMs have declared serious criminal cases against them, including murder, attempt to murder, kidnapping, and criminal intimidation.

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Top 3 Richest Cheif Ministers

The top three richest CMs in India are Andhra Pradesh’s Jagan Mohan Reddy, Arunachal Pradesh’s Pema Khandu, and Odisha’s Naveen Patnaik. Reddy’s assets are valued at over ₹510 crores, with a liability of over ₹1 crore. Khandu’s assets are worth over ₹163 crores, but he has no self-income or liability. Patnaik’s assets are valued at over ₹63 crores. On the other hand, Mamata Banerjee has assets worth ₹15 lahks, making her the CM with the lowest declared assets.

Other notable CMs in terms of assets include Delhi’s Arvind Kejriwal and Bihar’s Nitish Kumar, both of whom have assets worth over ₹3 crores. Kejriwal’s assets are valued at over ₹3 crores, with a self-income of over ₹2 lahks.
Despite the wealth and power associated with the position of CM, the report highlights the worrying trend of a significant number of CMs facing serious criminal charges. This indicates a need for greater scrutiny of the backgrounds of political candidates, as well as the need for accountability and transparency in political leadership.