Mamata Banerjee poorest among CMs: ADR report says Bengal CM has assets worth Rs 15 lakh; Chandrababu Naidu, Pema Khandu top the list
Times of India | 22 August 2025
KOLKATA: Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee continues to be the poorest among all 31 CMs with assets worth a little over Rs 15 lakh, according to the latest report by Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR) prepared after state assembly polls and bye-elections held post Dec 2024. The list draws from data mentioned in the affidavits filed by the CMs before the last assembly polls they contested.
Andhra CM N Chandrababu Naidu, too, continues to top the list with assets worth more than Rs 931 crore, followed by Pema Khandu of Arunachal Pradesh (Rs 332 crore). The two are the only billionaires on the list.
The report says the total assets of the 31 CMs are worth Rs 1,630 crore.
The report by ADR, which works in the area of electoral and political reforms, states that while Banerjee declared assets of Rs 15 lakh, Jammu and Kashmir CM Omar Abdullah has assets worth Rs 55 lakh. Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan is third from last with assets worth a little more than Rs 1 crore.
Banerjee's affidavit was filed before the by-election for the Bhowanipore assembly seat, held on Sept 30, 2021.
In the income tax returns filed by her in 2020-21, her assets were worth Rs 15.4 lakh. During the 2016 assembly polls, her assets were worth Rs 30.4 lakh. She mentioned in the affidavit that "cash in hand" with her was Rs 69,255, while she had a bank balance of Rs 13.5 lakh, which included Rs 1.5 lakh in her election expenditure account. The affidavit showed that her tax deducted at source (TDS) receivable was Rs 1.8 lakh for 2019-20. She also had 9 gram of jewellery, worth Rs 43,837. According to the affidavit, she did not have any landed property or residential house in her name. Ujjaini Halim, coordinator (West Bengal) of ADR and West Bengal Election Watch, an allied organisation, said, "When the affidavits are filed with the Election Commission, they send them to the income tax department. We are not sure if there is any scrutiny of the affidavits filed by any MP or MLA across the country. However, there are documents filed with the affidavit and we have to trust that.
" She added, "We have seen that money plays a vital role in the elections in India now. Election expenditures are on the rise and it is getting increasingly difficult for a candidate with a humble background to contest polls.