Only BJP's Vikas! Gaurav Gogoi Attacks Assam CM Himanta Sarma For Being In India's Richest CMs List

Congress leader Gaurav Gogoi has criticised Assam's chief minister, Himanta Biswa Sarma, for being among the wealthiest chief ministers in India. Gogoi highlighted this discrepancy by referencing a report from the Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR). He pointed out the stark contrast between Sarma's personal wealth and Assam's development status.

Gogoi expressed his views on 'X', stating, "What was promised by the BJP chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma that Assam will be in the top 5 states in India in terms of development. Instead chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma himself is on the verge of becoming one of the top 5 richest chief ministers in India."

Wealth Disparity Among Chief Ministers

The ADR report indicates that Andhra Pradesh's N Chandrababu Naidu is India's wealthiest chief minister, with assets exceeding Rs 931 crore. Following him are Arunachal Pradesh's Pema Khandu with over Rs 332 crore and Karnataka's Siddaramaiah with more than Rs 51 crore. In contrast, West Bengal's Mamata Banerjee has declared assets worth only Rs 15 lakh.

Jammu and Kashmir's Omar Abdullah ranks second lowest with assets valued at Rs 55 lakh. Kerala's Pinarayi Vijayan is third on this list, declaring assets worth Rs 1.18 crore. The report also highlights that Khandu has the highest liabilities among these leaders, amounting to Rs 180 crore.

Financial Insights from ADR Report

Siddaramaiah follows Khandu with liabilities of Rs 23 crore, while Naidu has liabilities totalling Rs 10 crore. The average asset value per chief minister across India stands at Rs 52.59 crore. Collectively, the total assets of the 31 analysed chief ministers reach Rs 1,630 crore.

The average self-income for a chief minister is reported as Rs 13.64 lakh. This figure is significantly higher-7.3 times-than India's per capita net national income of Rs 1,85,854 for the fiscal year 2023-2024.

Gogoi Questions Development Promises

Gogoi further noted that four NDA chief ministers from northeast India are listed among the top ten richest CMs, yet their states rank low on the Human Development Index (HDI). He questioned if this disparity reflects the 'development' promised by what he termed as the "double engine BJP sarkar".

Sarma is ranked among India's wealthiest CMs with assets valued at approximately Rs 17 crore. Gogoi emphasised this sharp contrast between personal wealth and state development, suggesting that "Vikas" seems exclusive to BJP leaders.