Delhi legislators' average assets are over Rs.100 million

The newly elected assembly of Delhi is richer than the average Delhiite, the average assets per legislator being around Rs.108.3 million, reveals a report compiled by the Association for Democratic Reforms and the Delhi Election Watch.

Latest reports say the annual per capita income of Delhi, highest in the country, is Rs.2.01 lakh in 2012-13 as per Delhi government statistics.

At least 51 or 73 percent of the 70 Delhi legislators are multi-millionaires, said the report released Monday.

While 30 of the 31 lawmakers (97 percent) from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) are multi-millionaires, 12 of the 28 in the Aam Aadmi Party (43 percent) and seven of the eight in the Congress also belong to that category.

The Shiromani Akali Dal's sole elected lawmaker and the only Independent member also fall in this bracket. Incidentally, the single Janata Dal (United) is not a millionaire.

The average assets of 22 Delhi legislators re-elected in 2013 are worth Rs.142.2 million each. Their average assets in 2008 were Rs.32 million. Their average asset growth thus is 338 percent or Rs.109.7 million.

The 13 re-elected MLAs of the BJP have shown an average assets increase of 392 percent or Rs.141.0 million over the five-year period. For eight re-elected Congress legislators, the increase is much less at 237 percent or Rs.72 million.

The BJP's Sat Prakash Rana from Bijwasan constituency has recorded the biggest growth in assets (Rs.1,055.1 million) from Rs.63.8 million in 2008 to Rs.1,118.9 million in 2013.

Assets of Devender Yadav (Congress) from Badli constituency have gone up Rs.200.4 million (271 percent) from Rs.73.8 million to Rs.274.3 million. Similarly, assets of Dharm Dev Solanki (BJP) from Palam constituency have risen Rs.180.1 million (191 percent) from Rs.94.2 million to Rs.274.3 million over the five-year period.

In 2008, average assets per MLA were Rs.29.4 million while 47 (69 percent) legislators were multi-millionaires.