Public representatives in Himachal Pradesh Assembly are getting richer. A study of the affidavits submitted by the newly elected MlAs has brought out that the number of crorepatis in the Vidhan Sabha has grown by 18 percent.
As per the data analysed by Association of Democratic Reforms (ADR), 52 MlAs chosen for the Assembly in the elections (76%) are crorepatis, while only 44 (65%) crorepati MlAs were present in the 12th Vidhan Sabha of the state.
While the ruling BJP will have 28 crorepati MlAs in the new house, the opposition Congress will be represented by all its 21 crorepati MlAs. Besides BJP and Congress, the third party CPM, who has been able to book a berth in the state assembly will also be represented by the sole crorepati MlA. The two independent MlAs in the new house are also crorepatis.
The average of assets per MlA in the Himachal Pradesh Assembly Elections 2017 is Rs 8.88 Crores. In 2012, the average assets MlAs analysed was Rs 7.45 crores. In terms of average assets too, Congress leads the house, with the average assets of its 21 MlAs is Rs 13.80 crores. The average assets of 44 BJP MlAs is Rs 6.14 crores, and 2 Independent MlAs have average assets of Rs 12.85 Crores.
Balvir Singh Verma of BJP, elected from Chopal constituency is the most affluent MlA in the new house, followed by Vikramaditya Singh of Congress and Anil Sharma of BJP.
As per the affidavits of these MlAs, Balvir Singh Verma had shown his assets to be more than 90 crores. He had shown an income of Rs 1.25 crore in his income tax returns for 2015-16. Vikramaditya Singh, son of former Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh follows Balvir Singh Verma in term of total worth. Elected for the first time from Shimla Rural, Vikramaditya’s financial worth is more than 84 crore.
Son of former Union Minister Sukh Ram, Anil Sharma, who contested from BJP this time, after remaining in Virbhadra Singh cabinet for more than four years, has a worth of 40 crore.
While the number of crorepatis has swollen in the new state assembly, the number of MlAs with pending criminal cases has also seen a significant rise.
Out of the 68 MlAs, 22 have declared criminal cases against them while this number was 14 in the previous house.
Among the 22 MlAs with pending criminal cases, 8 MlAs are facing serious criminal cases, while the number of MlAs with serious criminal charges was 5 in the previous house. In terms of MlAs with pending criminal cases, the ruling BJP is far ahead off the other parties. Out of 44 MlAs, 18 MlAs of BJP have been facing criminal charges while Congress has two MlAs with impending criminal cases. In terms of serious criminal charges, 6 MlAs of BJP and 1 of Congress have been facing serious criminal charges.