A new report by the Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR) finds stark wealth disparities and a significant presence of declared criminal cases among members of India’s upper house. Examining self-declared affidavits submitted by 229 of 233 sitting Rajya Sabha MPs, the study shows nearly one-third (73 MPs, or 32%) have disclosed criminal cases, while the chamber’s declared average net worth stands at Rs 120.69 crore — a figure that conceals wide variation between parties and individuals.
At the bottom of the wealth list are two modestly declared MPs: AAP’s Sant Balbir Singh, a religious leader from Punjab, who reports about Rs 3 lakh in assets, and Maharaja Sanajaoba Leishemba of Manipur, a ceremonial monarch elected on a BJP ticket, who declares roughly Rs 5 lakh, making him the second-poorest member. Trinamool Congress MP Prakash Chik Baraik follows with about Rs 9 lakh. At the opposite extreme, BRS’s Bandi Partha Saradhi tops the table with declared assets exceeding Rs 5,300 crore, AAP’s Rajinder Gupta reports over Rs 5,053 crore, and YSRCP’s Alla Ayodhya Rami Reddy declares more than Rs 2,577 crore. In total, 31 MPs — about 14% of those analysed — report assets in the billions of rupees.
Party averages highlight the concentration of wealth: AAP MPs average Rs 574.09 crore each, driven by its wealthiest members, and YSRCP MPs average Rs 522.63 crore. By contrast, TMC MPs average Rs 17.70 crore and BJP MPs Rs 28.29 crore; Congress averages Rs 128.61 crore per member.
On legal disclosures, ADR records that 36 MPs face what it classifies as serious charges. Among the declared cases are one murder charge, four counts of attempt to murder, and three cases related to crimes against women. Party-wise, the BJP has the largest absolute number of MPs with declared cases — 27 of its 99 members — followed by Congress (12 of 28), TMC (4 of 13), AAP (4 of 10), and three each from CPI(M) and BRS.
The ADR report covers 37 recently elected members within the total examined; one Rajya Sabha seat from Jharkhand is vacant and affidavits for three MPs could not be obtained. The analysis offers a detailed snapshot of the financial and legal profiles of India’s upper house, underscoring both economic inequality among legislators and the prevalence of declared criminal allegations.
Original Source: https://www.indiatodayne.in/manipur/story/manipur-mp-among-poorest-in-rajya-sabha-adr-report-1362167-2026-03-19?utm_source=rssfeed
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Publish Date: 2026-03-19 16:06:00
