A new report by the Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR) highlights sharp contrasts in the personal wealth of India’s Chief Ministers. West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee is ranked the “poorest” with assets worth only ₹15.38 lakh, far below the average assets per CM of ₹52.59 crore.
At the wealthiest end, Andhra Pradesh CM N. Chandrababu Naidu declared assets of ₹931.83 crore, making him India’s richest CM. Arunachal Pradesh CM Pema Khandu follows with assets of ₹332.56 crore. Together, the total assets declared by all 31 incumbent CMs stand at ₹1,630 crore.
Other leaders at the lower end of the wealth spectrum include Jammu & Kashmir’s Omar Abdullah with assets of ₹55 lakh and Kerala’s Pinarayi Vijayan with ₹1.18 crore.
The gulf, from Mamata Banerjee’s modest ₹15 lakh to Naidu’s nearly ₹1,000 crore, throws into sharp relief the staggering disparity in wealth among political leaders. ADR notes that the average CM’s assets are nearly 300 times greater than Banerjee’s.
Trinamool Congress MP Derek O’Brien responded to the findings, describing Mamata Banerjee’s life as “no ordinary story,” pointing to her modest lifestyle and decades of public service despite holding the highest office in West Bengal.
