UP's 311 MLAs richer by 82% compared with 2012: Survey

As many as 311 Uttar Pradesh legislators in the fray for the ongoing assembly elections have shown an average 82 per cent hike in their assets compared with 2012, an analysis of their self-furnished affidavits has revealed.

There has been an average increase of Rs 2.84 crore in the assets of these 311 members of the assembly since 2012, an analysis by the Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR) showed.

The highest increase of Rs 64 crore in assets has been declared by the Mubarakpur MLA, Shah Alam alias Guddu Jamali of the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), followed by Suar 's lawmaker Nawab Kazim Ali Khan, also of the BSP (up by Rs 41 crore), and Maholi legislator Anup Kumar Gupta of the Samajwadi Party (increase of Rs 35 crore).

In the 2012 elections, the total assets of Jamali were valued at Rs 54 crore, which increased to Rs 118 crore (increase of 118 per cent). Those of Kazim Ali Khan were Rs 56 crore, and rose to Rs 97 crore (71 per cent increase), while the assets of Anup Kumar Gupta dramatically rose from Rs 6 crore to Rs 42 crore -- a whopping 525 per cent.

Party-wise, the highest increase in the value of assets was registered by Apna Dal (Soneylal) from Rs 5 lakh to Rs 7 crore.

The legislators of the SP (162), BSP (57), Lok Dal (3), BJP (55) and the Congress (19) have seen an increase in their assets respectively by 99 per cent, 92 per cent, 88 per cent, 62 per cent and 65 per cent in five years between 2012 and 2017.

A decrease in assets by minus 82 per cent was shown by the Peace Party.

--IANS

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