West Bengal: Net worth of richest MLA is Rs 40 crore, poorest has Rs 50,000

Trinamool Congress' MLA from Taldangra is the richest among all 294 members of the House.

Reflecting a huge gap in their economic profile, the net worth of the richest MLA in the new West Bengal Assembly is about Rs 40 crore while the poorest legislator has less than Rs 50,000.

An analysis of the affidavits of the winning candidates in the Assembly polls done by West Bengal Election Watch shows that Trinamool Congress' MLA from Taldangra is the richest among all 294 members of the House.

Samir Chakraborty owns assets worth about Rs 40 crore including movable assets like cash in hand, bank deposits and investments of about Rs 28 crore.

The politician, who also runs a business as per his affidavit, owns three residential properties worth over Rs 11 crore.

Present along with him in the House will be opposition CPI(M) MLA from East Panskura constituency Sk Ibrahim Ali who has a paltry sum of Rs 1,000 as cash in hand.

His affidavit that was submitted before the Election Commission shows that his bank balance has a meager deposit of Rs 48,703.

Describing himself as a social worker, he has declared that he owns no other properties or assets and lives in his father's house.

Trinamool's Pundarikakshya Saha from Nabadwip seat is a little richer than him owning assets close to Rs 75,000.

The report says that the average assets per MLA who won in the polls is Rs 1.46 crore. A good number of 100 (34 per cent) MLAs are crorepatis too.

Jangipur MLA Jakir Hossain's net worth is about Rs 22 crore while in Kasba, Minister Javed Ahmed Khan has Rs 17 crore worth of assets.

The top ten richest candidates are from the Trinamool Congress which has won a second consecutive term. Twenty per cent MLAs have, however, not filed their income tax returns, as per the analysis. (This story originally appeared in the deccan Chronicle as may the case be)