Four chief ministers from the Northeast have figured prominently in the latest analysis of assets declared by India’s sitting chief ministers, released by the Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR). Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu has emerged as the richest chief minister from the region and the fourth richest in the country.
The report is based on self-sworn election affidavits submitted by all 31 chief ministers from 28 states and three Union Territories. According to the analysis, Khandu has declared assets worth ₹332.56 crore, placing him among the four billionaire chief ministers in India.
Nagaland Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio ranks fifth in the country with declared assets of ₹46.95 crore. Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma follows with assets worth ₹35.16 crore, while Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma has declared assets of ₹14.06 crore. Tripura Chief Minister Manik Saha has reported assets worth ₹13.90 crore.
The ADR report also examined the liabilities declared by chief ministers. Pema Khandu has liabilities amounting to ₹180.27 crore, the second highest among all chief ministers after Karnataka Chief Minister DK Shivakumar. Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has the third-highest declared liabilities at ₹16.86 crore.
Among the remaining northeastern states, Sikkim Chief Minister PS Tamang has declared assets worth ₹6.69 crore, Mizoram Chief Minister Lalduhoma has assets of ₹4.13 crore, while Manipur Chief Minister Yumnam Khemchand Singh has reported assets of ₹2.38 crore.
According to the ADR analysis, the average assets declared by India’s chief ministers stand at ₹118.07 crore, with four of them qualifying as billionaires. Together, the 31 chief ministers have declared total assets worth ₹3,660 crore, while their average self-declared annual income is ₹6.54 crore.
The report further states that 14 of the 31 chief ministers, or about 45 per cent, have declared criminal cases against themselves. Of these, 11 chief ministers, accounting for 35 per cent, have disclosed serious criminal cases. It also notes that 97 per cent of India’s chief ministers are men, with only one woman currently serving as a chief minister.